The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-02
japan and the Koreans.

The japanese wind blows in all
directions. The New York Sun sees
War in letters Of smoke from
every funnel of Fighting Bob's fleet.
The Newark News and the Tacoma
Ledger-spanning the continent be-
tween them-make a new war look
ridiculous by pictures Of the En-
peror chained 10 the debt of that
Just ended. Europe wonderful as
a crossroads village il its appetite
for gossip, buzzes with all sorts of
reports. You pays your money and
You takes your choice.
In all this sausage, however, there
are occasional shreds of real meat.
Such is a letter to the London
papers from two men, apparently
Koreans from their napes-S. S.
Lee and j. II. Song. They argue
that Japan has less faith than Rus
STA; that the Island Kingdom has
been out-maneuvered at every turn
by its Hermit neighbor, and that,
being beaten at playing the game,
the Japanese have resorted to high
handed seizure and open brutality.
They cite "a few of the cases which
happened, not in past years, but
only, in point of fact, in the last
few weeks" This one from 1.-THE
United Korean Weekly" Seoul, No
vember Is last, reveals the trend of
them all:
The Korean revolution is rising like a
flame in every part or Korea, ana tney
are uniting WITH the disbanded soldiers
and licensed hunters against the Japa-
nese brutal policy Japanese soldiers
were sent out t. the districts in order
10 -Quieteu the reVOluuOnlsJs- Ihey
burnt down the towns and villages, and
also shot many Of the inhabitants. Not
/ only this, but the Japanese sOIdiers
burnt whole towns and villages Wnere
/ the revolutiOnists were passing through,
4 Thus the people saw their houses ana
properties reduced 10 ashes, and became
/ themselves penniless.
! rVhe Prince OF Kyiug-Hang, Vi Chal
! Sung. WIS deposed from his rank as
/ prince, and reduced 70 the level OF the
/ common people, he also had ms mccall
l taken away on the ground that ne 81 M
/ uathfZed with the reVOluTIOnlSJS- Inc
/ former vice minister. Vi Nam htu, was
/ a very popular gentleman. and also 9
/ great scholar. He was seized by JA5
/ japanese soldiers on the charge OF nav
I ING some relations with the feNOluJoH
/ he tried to prove his innocence by ms
/ straightforward statements, buL tIs
/ Jauanese shot him TO death without
I listening 10 the reason.
! Two OF his sons-in the midst Of then
al
/ holding their father. Thus, IN sucn Z
! harbarOus way. were these three 40
/ rean gentlemen killed by the Japanese
+ American minds viii not be
wholly persuaded by such a show
ing. The Japanese must first be
heard in answer. On the face a
this account, those responsible fol
1.-The government may have adopted
only such measures as were essen
ItiaI TO the maintenance of order.
/ But even so, the letter does no
Itbr lose all its interest. Japan i
!charged with having violated an un
eouiyocaI guarantee of Korean indie
incidence. If that be true, she vii
get scant favor from the natioI
whose only error in a ike situation
in Cuba has lain in too much consid
Grafton for the natives. Japan ha
speciaI need, and viii have until he
debt is lightened, for the friendship
of the otheE powers. She viii no
deserve IT, and she cannot hold 1t /
6. s. Lee and J. II. Song tell tn
truth as to decapitations of Koreal
officials without trial.