The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-16
JAPAN IN COREA
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

penter.)
Tr was at the resfdeneeya general, a big
frame office building that stands on
\ the hill not far from the south gate,
that I met Viseount Arasuke Some. the
man who in the absence of Prince Ito,
is acting as the real ruler of this land
of Corea. On my way there | passed the
palace in which the retired emperor is
practically imprisoned, and as l went on
through the Japanese quarter and climb
ed the hill I could see the palaces of the
present emperor over the great plain of
tiled roofs composing the city. have
already described my audience with him
and given you some idea of his mental
+ calibre He Is merely a fgurehead, and
has no power whatever outside of his I'M
mediate court. The man l met today is
under the direct control of the Emperor
of Japan, and he is now exercising SUI
pervisons over all affairs in Corea. The
country is nominally governed by the local
officials, and neither appointments nor
dismissals can be made without his con-
sent.
By the agreement between Japan and
Corea, when the emperor was deposed
and his son put In his plice it was stip-
ulated that the resident general should
reform the administration and that the
government of Corea should not enact any
law or do any important thing without
his approval. 1t was provided that 1t
should appoint Japanese to such official
positions as the resident general recon-
mended, and that no foreigner should be
engaged without his consent. In short,
1t meant the turning over Of the Corsan
government almost absolutely into tho
hands of Japan, and this is the condition
today.
The Man Who Rules corea.
Viscount Some is well known as an ad-
ministrator He has been several times in
the cabinet of the Mikado, Nand has been
a real working force in Corea. He knows
all about the country, and, While conserV-
alive in his statements evidently believes
that the japanese will be able to handle
It successfully. During my talk of today
asked him whether s,he thought the
Coreans were capable of self-government
He replied:
They are not so now. All their tradi-
tons and training have been along the
lines of oppression and corruption. They
have been numerically squeezed by their
rulers and do not know what good gov
eminent means 1t will take some time
to educate them to 1t. We shall nave 10
teach them to crawl before they can
walk, and it will be years before they
are able to govern themselves ii
rs it the idea Of Japan to make the
country independent
Yes. when the conditions are such tnat
1t can maintain an independence Whlch
at the same time not Injurious to the
interests of Japan"
What is the situation today your ex-
celeney? understand that many or the
Coreans are not in favor OF tW ne"
regimen"
''1nat is true" replied the resident gen
eral THESE people cannot appreciate
the fact that Japan is anxious to peneht
them and their country. They nave peeh
oppressed by foreigners through Sc
4 fafV ri
a long time they were under the pro
lection of the Chinese government, Whlch
largely directed their affairs for ltsl own
benefit. Then the japanese, after their
war with China, took charge or many
things and the Russians did likewise me
result is that the people suspect our sin
certify They cannot oelieve<that thelr
rights and property are not to be taken
away from them, or that their country
is not eventually to be q, second Japan.
1t will take long time to eradicate THESE
suspicions and it cannot be done by pro-
nuneiamentos and speeches. 1t Will nave
TO be accomplished by works, and that
is what we propose to DO. we slaH
build roads, establish industries and intro
duce improved agricultural methods. we
have already wiped out most OF the cor
51lpt courts and are seeing that the peo-
pie have justice among Themselves. we
have reformed the system of taxation;
and that in such a way as to materially
reduce the burdens imposed by the tax
s,atherers of the past. We are starting
schools here in Seoul and elsewhere. and
we are doing all we can to give the CO.
reans a square deal.'
Briqands and Fire Robbers.
"But YOU have not been able to give
them peace. your exeellency" said Ia
mo. there is still trouble in different
parts of the peninsula. This is due
somewhat to disaffection as regards the
1.11s n 81
brigandage which has gone on for
years There are an Corea companies
of bandits, knowsAas fre-robbers. be-
cause they blackmaf1 the villages and
often burn them down in order to rob
the people. We are more afraid OF this
element now than of any other. 1t
rises at certain times of the year; and
is at its worst just after harvest when
the rice is gathered and all other work
stopped Then these robberies begin.
They are performed by bands or from
five to rs or more brigandS and tney
seem to break out simultaneously over
the country. During certain years
there are as many as $4,000 or these
men. and they have been operating
from wear to year for almost a century
They are SO many that We could not
easily control them If they were or
ganized, but we are policing Corea ana
thus keeping the bands apart In time
we shall wipe them out You Will re-
member that you had similar trouble
with your people in the Philippines. 1t
has taken us eight years to get the |
aborigines of F'ormosa into satisfactory
shape; and 1 Judge 1t will take several
years before we can bring peace, SAFETY |
and quiet to every part of this land" 4
Are the Coreans as easy to govern |
as the Filipinos?"
IT think not" replied the resident |
general. "The Filipinos are more SIM |
pie. less educated and more easily |
handled. The Coreans have had gov
eminent and a fair amount of civilfza-
lion for many, many years. 1t Is diff |
hcult to change them, and the rank and |
file are not anxious to take up new !
things. As I have said, We can only /
expect to teach them by works. by |
giving them a practical and. an optical |
demonstr ration of our IDEAS
What do you mean by that, your ex- |
cellency?"
II mean that we shall show the Co !