Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-25

r==1T==S EOUL, Korea.-Upon paper
IlkSS Nl the governmental project OF
IIA %Sl Japan in Korea is ideally
'ISzM Nj planned and entirely altruis-
IK<El tic in intent. To one famil-
lksAsE22l lar with the course mapped
out, as described in official
documents, but unfamiliar with Korea
ITSELF it is not apparent that there
exists any real reason for discomfort
upon the part of the Koreans. But in
Seoul the adage that the appearance
of the picture depends upon where
you are sitting Is amply illustrated.
THE government of fact is hardly
more like the government of theory
than the aims of Japan in Korea are
like the aims of Great Britain in
Egypt-although Japanese civil SER
wants in Korea constantly compare
this country's relations with Japan
to those of Egypt with Great Britain.
! Before the emperor was forced to
abdicate and the farce of Korean gov
ernment was continued with the pres
ent acquiescent incapable upon the
throne, in purely titular capacity,
Japanese advisers standing behind the
chairs of members of the cabinet and
heads of departments directed them.
Japan was actually the supreme power
in internal and foreign affairs in
Korea. When the emperor was forced
! to abdicate an agreement was drawn
up under which the Korean govern
ment might pass no laws and carry
out no administrative measures with
out the approval of the resident gen
| eral might dismiss or appoint no Off
cials without permission, should ap-
point to office "such Japanese as may
be recommended by the resident gen.
eral' and might not engage any for
eigner without permission. This ended
Korean participation in Korean gov
ernment, although the puppet en-
peror, forbidden even to wear the
"topknot" that distinguishes the Kor-
can as the cue does the Chinese, re-
mained the nominal ruler.
The Japanese now had free hand
| and set about the business of REFORM
ing Korea which, in diplomatic COM
munications, had been the motive Of
Japan in Korea for something more
than a quarter of a century. pro-
gram of road construction, railway
development, agricultural development,
reforestation, improvement of educa-
tional facilities, the elimination of
corruption, the reorganization of the
police, the publication of the judiciary
the reform Of finance, mining laws, lo-
cal administrations and the encour-
undertaken with the imperial govern
ment unhampered by the existence OF
any shadow of authority rmalning
with the Korean government,
The immediate result was loading the
Korean treasury with a large number
of salaries paid to Japanese Where
England and Egypt pursues the policy
of the gradual elimination of her ma
tionals from the civil service and en-
~ 1,a n the .TaDan
pursued the reverse course, eliminat-
ing Koreans and supplanting them with
Japanese in civil service, and abolish
ing the Korean army by an order TO
disband, while removing policemen and
replacing them with Japanese. 1t was
explained that to eliminate the evil OIL
squeeze" which which oriental coun-
tries are famous, the salaries of the
new officials were made large enough
to remove the temptation"
One of the first public measures was
the creation of a national debt. Here
again the policy of England in Egypt
was reversed. Great Britain took over
the Egyptian government to finance
the country out of debt after the mag
niflcent extravaganza and thorough
incompetence of Khedive Ismail Pasha
had put an extreme burden of taxation
upon the people, exhausted Egypt's
credit in Europe and brought affairs
TO such a pass that the repudiation OF
bonds held in Europe loomed upon the
horizon as the next event. Korea was
in the position of Egypt before the
reign of Ismail. That Is to say, the
country was wholly agricultural, the
farmers footed the bills of an extrava-
CANT court and measures of collecting
taxes were as oppressive as they usu-
ally are in despotically ruled oriental
countries, but there was no burden
of debt. While the mortgagtng of ko-
rea to raise revenues and provide for
internal improvements may or may not
prove, ultimately, an economical meas
ure, the situation Is not pleasing to
Korea. Taxation is increasing, and 1t
is being increased by a country whose
policy at home has been to load her
people with a national debt OF huge
proportions, while playing the role OF
a "plunger" in an effort to become
westernized and modernized. 1t also
grinds the Korean to note that while
his country is being internally inn
proved the contractors are Japanese
One Japanese project is the colonial
ton of lands with a view to increas-
ing agricultural wealth. During the
war the so-called ''Nagamori land
scheme" was broached 1t was pro-
posed, in broad terms, that the Ko-
rean government should make over to
one Nagamori, a Japanese represent
ing himself the government or the i'm
perial household, according to opinion
the unoccupied land in Korea. He was
to colonize and develop it. The Ko-
reans regarded this as projected
swindle. They believed that 1t would
result in a wholesale land grab in