The Lambertville record., 1910-10-25

out and to insure Korea's independ-
ence. or course. after the war,
Japan was to get out and leave the
Korean emperor once more In con-
troll. But excuses were found 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. LiSyck. a mere boy who forth
with was carried to Tokyo to be
educated" amid Japanese surround
ings. BY degrees the emperor. first
the father and then the son. was
forced to sign DEGREES increasing the
| participation of Japan in the Korean
government until. months before the
farce OF annexation. the subjugation
was practically complete.
Prince Ito, at the height of his
power, met the fate which comes to
SO many iron-willed dictators-as-
sassination But he has been sue
CccuCu ny OlACl CQudlly IOlCALlOSS Ill
carrying out the will Of the Mikado
and the present personal representa-.
tive of the Japanese Emperor in
Korea Is Viscount Terauchi. He has
announced that everything will be
done to placate the Koreans and spare
them humiliation, but at the same
time all disorder" will be put down
with relentless firmness
The deposed boy Emperor will be
given the honorary title of "Whang."
or king, but will have no power. His
father and the princes Of the Korean
imperial court will be treated as Jap
anese princes and an annuity of $780,
900 will be divided between them.
Other high dignitaries of Korea will
receive grants Of money.
The history of Korea reaches back
many centuries before the dawn of the
Christian era. The dynasty which
Japan has just brought to close was
founded in 1392-1O0 years before Co.
lumbus discovered America. The area
of the kingdom is $4,000 square miles,
the surface is mountainous and the
climate Is hot in summer and severe
In winter. TIE chief industry is agri.
culture. Seoul. the capital, has a pop
ulation Of over 100000. There are no
other large cities.
Korea has we'll earned it's name of
the Hermit Kingdom" Although II
is only two days sail from Japan and
less than days travel from the har.
Dor of Chefoo, in China, and almost
in the track OF the lines OF steamships
which trade with Tientsin, It has shut
itself off from all other countries for
centuries. To keep out the hordes from
North China and Siberia, a strip of
territory so miles wide was devastated
and is today without settlers. The
lands which lie nearest the coast sell
dom feel the effects Of the Korean
peasants plough or ak, as there has
been. and is today, general desire
to give foreigners the impression that
the country is barren spot. Koreans
in conversation, too. like to speak OF
their poverty and the poverty Of their
country.
Korea has paid the cost OF drop
ping behind In the race Tor material
things. Like innumerable other ma
tions In all periods Of the worlds his
tory, the Hermit Kingdom ceases to
exist because she had come to exist
only for herself. Calm and inaction
are the ideals Of certain PHILOSOPHERS
but they do not serve to protect a
people against the yigor and aggres-
siveness of rivals who may also be
philosophers but not to an extent
which interferes with business.
Historically, it was inevitable that.
as soon as the restraining hand of
Europe was shaken off her shoulders,
Japan should extend her territories
by taking advantage of the weakness
and ineffciency of her nearest neigh
boxs.