The Washington herald., 1909-02-28

4
nation brought by the passengers on IN
coming steamships from Japan:
For more than year the japanese have
been IN supposed control Of Korea Since
/ the old King was deposed because Of his
unauthorized appeal TO The Hague tribu-
nal. Japan has been pacifying Korea II
has done everything that Weyler did N
Cuba The tales Of British oppression
in South Africa become pale when com
pared with the atrocities perpetrated By
the conGuering japanese
Hundreds OF villages have been de-
stroyed by FIRE and thousands Of natives
/ OF ali ages and both sexes have been
Tuthlessly murdered.
News OF the methods used has been
perfectly suppressed Every newspaper
IN the Hermit Kingdom which has ven
tured to make even the miIdest critI-
eisn OF to publish the news Of japanese
actions has been summarily dealt with.
In japan no newspaper has dared 20 in
dulge In anything more than the vaguest
generalities respecting conditions in Ko-
rea
But Il Is matter Of general knoEl-
edge in Tokyo and other Oriental cities
that az least 80 towns IN Korea have
been completely eTaced and the inhabi-
tants murdered. II they cid not fee 10
mountain Businesses. The campaign Of ex-
/ termination has been waged systematic
| ally and rUthIessly By 20.o00 regular Jap
anese soldiers. most OF them veterans Of
Mauchurian campaigns.
] New Policy Adopted.
Ths campaign is now IN its third stage.
| The policy OF determination vas first
tried But when 5000 houses had been
/ burned IN a hundred villages scattered
throughout the districts where rebellion
was in progress. and the inhabitants kill
ed and scattered. it was found that. in
stead Of doing good. the merciless policy
served only TO fan the flames Of revolt
and raise the demand for revenge to new
heights OF fury.
/ During the bitter Korean winter a year
/ ago. despite the fact that thousands OF
men. women. and children were homeless
and dying OF cold and starvation. the re-
volt grew IN the face OF the adoption Of
/ more peaceful means The rebeln0us
/ forces became more formidable IN the
spring the japanese did not dare venture
beyond the weil-guarded towns and cities
! except IN large bodies.
/ Recourse was again had 70 the policy
/ of determination. The imperial govern
ment at Tokyo framed the scheme OF OBJ
Iteration New troops were sent from
I Japan 4 proclamation Was issued that
/ al Koreans Offering food o. shelter 70 the
! insurgents. or IN any way rendering
/ them assistance would be summarily
/ dealt with.
bad PredicameHt.
/ Such plans have been tried a thousand
/ times In the history OF the world And
a thousand times It has been found that
1 the people OF a country viii die serving
their own people. This is what has hap
pened in Korea II the natives refused
assistance 10 the insurgents. the latter
retaliated. II the assistance was given.
the japanese wreaked vengeance and ad-
ministered punishment
/ TIE people were between the devil and
/ the deep sea They chose, as people have
always chosen. to die for their own coun-
/ Try. The japanese have seen 10 it that
they were not disappointed Death was
certain in either case.
/ How many have perished VIII never be
I known The victims were not arrested
Z and tried The slaughter has been indis-
/ Criminate and speedy. Suspicion Of aid
Ing the insUrgent forces was enough to
/ bring the avenging murderers down on
/ the helpless natives One offender, IN e
/ village vas enough. and the lives OF all
the inhabitants became Immediately for
1eited-
Ashes and ChsTred skeletons OF houses
alone mark the sites Of a thousand VII
lages- The bones OF the inhabitants, with
some partially consumed bodies tel the
stories OF huge funeral pyres that sue
ceeded the slaughter.
Secrecy Of Japan.
So excellent Is the japanese system OF
/ secrecy-es al the war correspondents
learned-thst 1t is impossible 10 obtain
direct information. and nothing has been
/ told except what the japanese officials
admit. They acknowledge the destruc-
ton and the slaughter, and justify it by
/ citing the necessity and hundred preCe-
dents.
These officials declare thai they have
/ Instituted a series OF reforms with a
View to bringing the administration OF
1 Korea into line with principles and
methods which obtain in Japan They
have established police districts and In
! stalled a system for the defense Of Iife
and property Railways and highways
/ have been repaired, rebuilt. and I'm
/ proved Schools and hospitals are being
built. public works are IN progress in
cities and towns. and there Is a system
Of judicature with japanese judges. Many
new laws have been made and an effort
70 increase trade. which has fallen away
TO nothing, is IN evidence.
/ But no progress whatever has been
made toward appeasing the native Ko-
reans. They are determined not only 10
resist al suggestions OF reconciliation
with the conditions, bat they regard the
murder and the arson. the reforms and
| the protection alike as steps toward
/ complete japanese domination. They con
slider themselves the hapless victims Of a
concerted scheme Of unScrupulOus spoIIa-
ton
Tyranny of Japan.
/ The assumption. hastily made, that the
japanese are peculiarly qualified by ra-
cial similarity 10 absorb and rule other
/ O-fa~tal -,a.uiae Fuds no confirmation s-7