Evening star., 1909-06-20

treme and at a distance they cannot tell
the difference between japanese and
European. Many Japanese dress III
European clothes, and the rebels are
prone to think any man so dressed
Japanese. and To shoot him on sight Not
long ago Mr. Erdman PreshEterian
missionary at Taku. about one hundred
miles north of F'usan, went on trip over
the country He had on khaki Suit. and
khaki is the color worn DS the japanese
soldiers when in the field As Il result. he
was taken for japanese. and narrowly
escaped with his life The rebels who
captured him insisted he was lying when
he told them he was a missionary and
an American. IT was only hls fair hair
and blue eres that enabled him TO hold
them back until some more intelligent
Koreans arrived and convinced his aptors
tIat he was s1saking the truth Another
missionary who was travelling il black
clothes was also attacked and had
narrow escape.
Some Of these Emp Yun-s operate in
the mountains not far from the capital.
and pleasure parties from Seoul are often
in danger. \ few months ago Ny.
Thomas Sammons. The American co:sul
general took a picnic trip with his wife
and son into the mountains near here.
They went in chairs ard pinrinklsids, and
the son, who is now student IL Harvard
University. led the procession He was
dressed I'm khaki and band Of five
rebels caught sight of hm they lev
eied their guns and ordered the party
to stop Mrs. Sammons had bunch
of flowers in her hands and she waved
these at them. supposns them friendly
Koreans In the meantime the consul
general came up. and it was only with
difficulty that he was able to show the
men that they were Americans and to
keep them from firing. Had these Emp
ns hpf fat How fro
GuentIy do. that is. shoot on sight. the
boy would have been killed.
This attack upon the consul general
had nothing whateveT to do with the
feeling which many patriotic Koreans
now hold in regard to our country. Until
the present they have always looked
upon us as their best friends among the
nations. it was our government which
land to the world. This was in 1889 when
Commodore Shufeldt came here with a
fleet and had a conference with the king.
In this treaty it was stated that if other
powers dealt unjustly or oppressively with
Korea that the United States would in
terferc and try to bring about an amicabe
arrangemen The Koreans construed this
as meaning that would support them
against any other Eatcn in preserving
their independence. Before the emperor
was deposed he sent commissioners TO
America, asking our aid against the Jap
anese, and the commissioners were not
received. Many CT the people look upon
this as a breach of international faith
and feel that We have sold them out to
japan.
1t was this that largely caused the as
sassination Of Stevens. He was Ameri-
can in the employ of the Japanese, and
was then on his way to Washington, as
they thought. to put another nail in
Korea's coffir. They We're wOefully mis-
taken, for Stevens, like his master.
Prince Ito, was of the best friends
hat X ppDnlp
and he laboring 10 give them indie
pendence under the protection of Japan.
| understand that the recent visit of our
fleet to Japan was ANOTHER thorn in the
flesh of korea. as in that act. we seemed
to have allied ourselves with their
enemy The first report of the fleet
which was distributed over Korea was
that X was coming to rccapture this
country aud put the retired emperor back
on his throne as well as to conquer
Japan.
Another story published last fall was
that three thousand Americans were COM
ing to Korea to spy out the land and
prepare the way for big force which
should punish Japan. This when sifted
down. proved to be the small company
of men and women who have since ar
rived from England to organize a Saliva
tion Army movement in Korea.
!. ].
Notwithstanding this feeling MANY Eo-
reans would now like to go to America,
ana they bitterly resent the provisions of
the japanese which prevent their leaving
the country. They are not allowed to sail
for the United States from any of the ko-
rean ports, and if they should go to
China they would be kept from sailing
to America Via Shanghai Some of the
people want t. go just because they
cannot. One such came to one of our
ri.NY1. Il
him to arrange some way TOR him To get
out OF the country. He said: 1t is the