Evening star., 1909-06-27

all the other ladies OF her class. and
she holds the old emperor in the hollow
of her hand. Her power was strength
ened upon the birth OF the little crown
prince, about twelve years ago, and she
is still at the head Of the retired en-
peror's establishment.
The crown prince has been going to
school for the past five or six years. and
ne is being educated along western
lines He is learning Japanese. and
all of his studies are carried on In that
language. His chief work is being done
al the Mobiles School in Toxic, but ne
has also private tutors, and he will have
as good an education as any prince of
Japan. 1t is whispered here that
upon his graduation he will take one
ot the Japanese princesses to wife. and
that when he comes back to Korea. at
the age of twenty or SO, there Will be
another shuttle of the imperial cards. and
this boy will be put in the present en-
peror's place. Such a change would un-
uOubtedly benefit both Korea and Japan.
The people here Will then have an en-
p.ror who can speak japanese as well
as Korean. and VINO will be abreast of
the new civilization. He would havt
the good OF his own people at heart, and
Will be able to act for them. and at
the same time be efficient lieutenant
for the mikado.
Prince Ito tells me that the crown
prince has extraordinary ability, and lie
predicts that he Will make a good mon
StIt.. me lIlLie Iel1OW IS Just the OD-
posite of his half brother who is now
on the throne. The latter had hardly
been outside his own apartments until
he was over thirty years Of age, and
today his only exercises are walking
about his palace grounds with now ana
then a short horseback ride in them.
He looks pale and enemic, and his flesh
seems To be putty. This crown prince
could hold his own with little Charlie
Taft or Quentin Roosevelt. He is fond
,f T. Hattie il-nc Ia Ech "a
play ball. At the same time he stands
high III his classes, and is not averse to
study. The Korean papers are full of
what he is doing in Japan. and tie
lighted with some biograph pictures
which have just come showing the lit
tie prince tile hunt. The papers
describe the palace which the Japa-
nese have given him. They state that
his little hlghIcsS sleeps in q t.lIi o.
r-tn he'd in roo,a kept warm by an
electric stove. His palace is furnished
throughout in foreign style. ard he has
mechanical toys of all kinds lie has
riding horses and all sorts of gymnas-
parallel bars. Ills palace IS guarded
by eighteen foot soldiers and ten court
policemen, ana when ne goes out he
has an escort. His instructors are
tected from high-ciass Japanese pro-
icssors., The mikado himself is inter
"sted in him, and altogether the Japa-
nese are trying to make of him a rnan
as well as a monarch.
* X
When this boy becomes Emperor OF
Korea he will have a new nation to
govern. These people are just begin
ming to appreciate our civilization
Their almond eyes are opening to the
needs OF modern education. and schools
Those of the missions, which have been
in existence for years, are oVercrowded.
and the new ones of the Japanese gov
ernment have more than they can do
There are several thousand boys and &
many girls row in attendance at th-
public schools OF Seoul They all wear
uniforms. and night and morning the
streets are tiil-i with boys wearing caps
aud @uwrs. and barefacod and bare
headed girls with their books in their