The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-10-14
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|" HE ancient empire of Korea
is no more. The Astatic
peninsula is now part OF
Japan and its 100000 peo-
pie are subjects Of the
Mikado. The Land of the Rising Sun
has swallowed up the Hermit King
dom. The Korean language must
give way to that of the Jap and In
time the little brown islanders will
swarm as thickly upon this captured
part of the mainland as upon any OF
the many islands which until recently
comprised the Japanese empire. The
empty formality of the annexation
was gone through with-the climax
Of two bloody wars and of many
years of plotting, intrigue and crafty
oriental diplomacy.
Perhaps Korea will be the better
of. Following the tragic extinction
of an independent government and the
submersion Of people into the larger
mass of a conquering nation there
may come greater progress, more real
freedom. Surely Texas, California
and the other American states which
formerly were part of Mexico, are In
comparably better of than they
would have been had the City Of
Mexico remained the seat Of their ma
tional government. The Boer states
of South Africa persisted as such amid
the tragedy of war, but today the
people are more prosperous and In
reality more free under the British
government in which they participate
than ever they could have been as
citizens of the Boer republics. So 1t
may be with Korea and the Koreans.
Japan promises much. II she keeps
her promises the time will come when
Koreans will be as loyal to the
Mikado as the Canadian French now
are to the throne of England. But
Japan has not always kept her prom
ises. Solemnly she agreed to respect
the sovereignty Of the Hermit King
dom She broke the promise when
the time came which permitted her
to do so without embroiling herself
In war with European powers. Now
she promises to the Koreans all the
privileges and benefits enjoyed by her
own people and full participation in
government. She may respect this
sacred obligation. She may reduce
the native population to poverty and
ultimately wipe them out by forcing
them into abject poverty through
seizure of their lands and barring
them from the more profitable trades
and professions. Perhaps the trag-
edy has passed only its initial stages
Japan has planned for this climax
for many years. To gain her ends
she fought China and dared to meas
ure arms with the mighty empire of
the car, expanding during the long
struggle hundreds of millions of dol
lars and the lives of countless thou
sands Of her subjects. Relentlessly
the acts of the drama have evolved.
To Japan the peninsula seemed al
most necessity. The undeveloped
mineral lands meant wealth; the STRAIT
egic position of Korea meant great
er security to the Mikado's empire.
China claimed sort of suzerainty
bver Korea. Her claims must be
wiped out. A pretext was sought
and easily found, the war of 1894
was fought. China was defeated and
Korea's absolute independence of the
Dragon was proclaimed. But Russia
was seeking eastern expansion and
Japan readily saw that before long
Russian influence in Korea would be
as great or greater than had been
that of China. Another pretext. An
other war The Bear was whipped
in 1904 and 1905 as thoroughly as
the Dragon had been whipped ten
years before.
Meantime, Japan had forced the
emperor Of Korea to sign an agree
ment giving to the Mikado temporary
military control in that country, un.
der the pretext that this was neces-
sary In order to keep the Russisus
out and to insure Korea's independ
ence. OF course. after the war,
Japan was to get out and leave the
Korean emperor once more IL con-
troll. But excuses were fouHd for
remaining and under the iron hand
of Marquis Ito, afterward prince, the
Korean government was absolutely
subjugated to the will Of the Japs.
Naturally the Korean emperor, Ii.
Heui, protested. He was arrested and
forced to abdicate in favor of his
son, Li-Syck. a mere boy who forth
with was carried to Tokyo to be
educated" amid Japanese surround
.ngs. By degrees the emperor. first
the father and then che son, was
forced to sign DEGREES increasing the
narticipation Of Jepan in the Korean