The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-11

How His Majesty Looks. Acts and
LiNes-He Has Blue Blood, But
Little Strength, and is Ruled by the
Japanese--His TweIve-year-old Wife
and How She Was ChOsen-Queer
Customs of an Oriental Court and
How They Are Chansing-The En-
peror and the Athletes-The Pal
aces as Repaired by the Japanese.
Copyright. 1909, by Frank c.. Car
penter.)
SEOUL. 1909.
have Just returned from an audi
ence with ms imperial majesty VI
ChOk. the Emperor Of Korea. 1t was
held in the East Palace. one OF the
four great establishments which his
majesy owns in and about Seoul, and
as We talked / Gould hear the ham
merS Of the carpenters who are build
ing a great audience hall nearby for
the receptions of the future. My
meetins with the emperor had been
arranged by ViscOunt Some, the act
ing Japanese resident general, at the
suggestion of Prince Ito. of whom |
had requested an audience when L
met him at his villa near Toxic, some
months ago. The Emperor OF Korea
is now under the absolute control OF
the Japanese government. Prince Ito
is his adviser, and the country is ruled
by Japan, with his majesty as the
nominal head. In other letters | shall
show whether this is for the good
or i'll of Korea. Today l write of his
majesty alone and Of the royal fam
lily TO which he belongs.
A Blue BlOOded Monarch.
IT blue blood means anything "
Chok ought to be one of the stronSes
mOnarchs on earth. There Is no dcuot
but that he is the weakest NeVerthe-
less. his veins are SJrea ked with Il
cerulean fluid which began It's roSal
flow a hundred years be ore Column
bus discovered America. Many gene
ratOns before Shakespeare was born,
a hundred years before the first Billie
was printed and two hundred wears
before Luther stirred up
With his preaching the ancestors OF
this young man sat upon the imperial
1brone and governed their millions Of
cream-faced a~lmond-eyed subjects.
III Chok is the th.rty-frst ruler IT
the present dynasty. which began 20
reign in 1892. His father was VI
Hung, the man whom the japanese
forced TO abdiCa,e in July, l3c', ana
MS HlOlileI vas II tlN' 49,
whom h japanese assaasiAate1
shortly after the c!ose OF their ar
with china.
The King and queen somewhat
related to each, other. and VI Choke
is the offspring Of the internlarriages
uf many cousins during the past gen
erations. He came into life a weak
ling, mentally and physically. one OF
our early ministers TO Korea. writing
to our State Department concerning
his audiences with this mans father.
mentions in a footnote having seen
the crown prince. When the state
paper was printed a footnote, which
was intended only for the Secretary's
eye, was added to the bottom of the
MESA Sc. 1t stated that the crown i
prince was weak mentally, and that,
in the opinion Of the minister this was
an evidence of the evil effects of the
internarrige of near relatives.
His majesty's father has never been
noted for strength of character, and
he has evidently inherited nothing
from his mother, who belonged to the
Min family, and was one of the most
fOrceful wonen who have ever been
connected with an Asiatic throne.
A BabX of Thirty-five.
The Of the emperOr'S
mind has long been a matter of remark
among both Koreans and Foreigners.
He has little more intellect than a
baby, although, it is said, his mInd
has frightened since he was chosen
emperor, now only q little more than
a year ago. he is a man of no educa-
ton to speak Of, and his life III the
palace, where he has been surrounded
by unuchs and the vicious servant
Of q depraved court has not been
conductive to mental growth. His first
Wife was only twelve years of age
when she married him. and the pres
ont impress is only a few years Older.
At the time of his last marriage ne
was crown prince. and when a wife
was sought for him. according to Gus
tom, a notice was sent out to all the
nobility Of the empire that they must
SuSneni oiNinc their Gau8lteCS III |