Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-28

lA wal spectator of events in Korea
ISsA All to give an unqualified indorse-
IR val ment to the methods en-
lsssaeseslj ployed by Japan to acquire
this country as a part of her
empire, no one whose views are not
biased by sympathy for the Korean
people can fail to admit that Japan IS
doing much to improve an unpro-
gressive country Her military inef-
fciency made the former hermit king
dom the certain prey of either Japan
or Russia after the results of tho
China-Japanese war had eliminated
China from the equation. Japan, haV-
ing taken charge of affairs, without in
terference from western powers, after
the war with Russia, inaugurated a
number of reforms. Her policy is to
colonize, moderniZe and Japanize Korea.
She is proceeding vigorously to carry
out that policy.
Judicial reform is one measure un-
dertaken. Under the old regime the
system of apprehending and Furnishing
terminals was faulty in theory and
failure in fact. The Japanese have in
stituted a judicial system similar TO
that in most western countries. That
it is at present inefficient as a guaran-
tee of the rights of Koreans against
encroachments by Japanese is indis-
putable, but such evils are the common
concomitants of reconstruction in all
conquered countries, and abuses Will
doubtless be weeded out eventually
The residency generals statement that
all Korean courts were nests of cor
ruption and that the Japanese have
eliminated bribery is probably an eX-
aggeration, but the foundations for i'm
provement are laid. Connected with
the reformation of the judiciary is the
reorganization of the prison admins
tration. Formerly the Imprisonment
of a Korean was not the lightest Of
punishments even in a country where
torture was common and where SEN
tences of death were passed for minor
offenses. The cold of winter often
killed prisoners in unheated jails with
earthern floors. In summer epidemic
diseases killed them in buildings where
there was no sanitation and no hos
pital system. UnderSthe Japanese the
prison system has been mOdern1zed.
Korea has existed as national en-
tity for some forty centuries without
having contracted a public debt, when
Japan interVened to effect her reforma-
ton At present she is modernized in
the matter of being under the burden OF
a national debt which will surely IN
crease but her revenues are being IN
creased and public improvements are
.progressing Formerly the principle
Source of revenue was a land tax. This
was collected irregularly in man loads
of rice. The land was measured under
an old-fashioned system. The unit was
the area that can be plowed by one
man with one OK In one day. Much
land escaped taxation through the
crookedness of local magistrates. The
evil squeeze" deprived the treasury
of part of the money actually collected
japan has inaugurated an improved
system of surveying and collecting, ana
established taxes upon salt, marine
products, tobacco and liquors to IN
crease legitimate sources of revenue.
Before the Japanese occupation the
currency system was insufficient to the
needs Of the times. A considerable
part Of the circulating medium con-
sisted of copper cash" This had one
virtue. It had a value as a legal ten
der no higher than its intrinsic value
as copper This did not encourage
counterfeiting. But it's knwieldliness
NAV be illustrated by citing the fact
that when the Japanese army brought
$4,000 worth of timber it was necessary
to load a steamer with "cash' to make
Dayment At present there is sound
currency system based upon the goId
standard. The unit is the yen, with
subsidiary coins corresponding in size
and value to Japanese coins. Japanese
money is also legal tender, and n
Korean Central bank has been estab-
1ished to facilitate the unification of
the currency.
Banking had been but little developed
in Korea when Japan took charge. a
system of Japanese banking is now in
operation in the important Korean cit
les. Japanese occupying most of the
important positions in banks subsidized
nv tho Korean treasury. While Japan
is getting the benefits of the system
business transactions are facilitated as
a result of its establishment. Former
1v the prirnissory note in Korea was
niece of paper an inch broad and sew
eral inches long, on which was Writ
fen the sum due, the date of payment
and the name of payor and payee. This
instrument was torn down the mid
die. Each party held half, and when
the creditor chose he could present his
half and demand payment. Such notes
passed as currency. The Japanese
have substituted a modern system OF
money loaning. A resultant evil to
Koreans is that it is easy to borrow-at
high rates of interest-and that pay
ment is exacted with a rigidity un-
known under the old regime. But Eu-
ropeans and Japanese find business
transactions simplihed
Korea presents to mariners a pecu-
Iiarlv rugged and dangerous coast
frineed with many islands, outerop-
pings of sunl<en mountain ranges,
When Korea was hermit kingdom
there was no effort to reduce the dan
gers of this coast line. In later days
nothing was done to encourage a sea-
horne trade Japan is improving the
important harbors, and both Chemulpo
and Fusan are becoming up to date in