Evening star., 1909-05-29
- - zMAnzEp FIST WokkIN ZkoREA9

stop fighting and go to work.
Not altogether" was the reply. They
will stop fighting. but many of them will
never work. This is SO as far the
present generation is CONCERNED. The no.
blity have considered it disgraceful 10
work. and the hanGers-on of the official
circles who have lived by squeezing the
common people are the most difficult ele-
ment We have to deal with We
have tried to give them work but they
will not take 1t. | asked one of the
missionaries how he would settle the
question. He replied that he did not
think they could be made to labor and
that the trouble would continue until
they died off and gave the workers a
free field for themselves. At present the
brigands are being recruited from this
idle class They fight not so much on
grounds of patriotism as because they
will do nothing else
What will Japan do to the soldiers
of Korea? Will it train the boys here
army of the future? The Koreans num-
ber about 5000 600 and If they will fight
they will make quite an addition to your
already large army" The general
laughed as he replied: A.
should not encourage such a plan.
and 1t is not in accordance with our
scheme for bringing about the independ-
ence of Korea under Japanese protection.
Inc Korean soldiers might do we'll
enough in the rear, and we could use
them for the heavy work of our mill
tary operations. as transports and la
borers. We would not dare put them at
the 'front.'
How about the charges that your SOL
diers are opGessing the people and kill
ing them without cause?"
There is no truth in such statements"
said Gen. Hasegawa I'VE have to be
severe In our treatment of the rebels in
order to maintain peace and keep the
unruly element in check. War is a serious
matter. and such conditions have to be
handled In serious way. Otherwise we
could do nothing with the country. We
wipe out the insurgents when they are
found. and 1t may be that when we are
mlslnformed as TO who are insurgents
some INNOCENT men may be killed. At
present We are using many Koreans in
Koreans are aiding us to put down the
rebellion"
rs it true that band of your soldiers
recently killed twenty such Koreans, sup
posing them insurgents?'
Il know the case to which YOU refer"
said Gen. HaseSawa. I'VE are not yet
sure whether those people were insurgents
or not. The killing occurred in a part of
the country where there We're bands of
rebels, one of which contained about
thirty-fve. Our troops were on the track
of that band and had been informed that
1t was in a certain inn. The officer in
command caught one man coming out
and he had papers on him showing that
those within the building to come out or
he would shoot They did not reply and
he commanded his soldiers to fire. Upon
going in later twenty were found dead.
We still believe that they were largely
insurgents. They certainly should have
answered when the soldiers ordered them
OUT
rs not Korea a difficult land to po-
lice?'
Yes. exceedingly so. The country is
covered with mountains. There are no
roads whatsoever over which troops can
be marched. The only routes from one
place to another are bride paths, which
become streams and rivers whenever 1t
rains. There are practically bridges
and the country is so poor that it is
difficult to provision the troops except by
carrying food everywhere with US. An
other annoyance to which the men al
subjected is the universal presence of
vermin. owing to the personal uncleanrI-
ness of the people. There are lice and
bugs of all kinds, and it is almost i'm
possible for the troops to keep them
selves free from them.''
here asked the general as to the
health of his troops. He replied that it
was excellent and that the troops had not