The Washington herald., 1910-06-27
Korean Apologeties.

The japanese are doing all they can to
prevent the work they are doing in the
| benevolent assimilation Of Korea from
being misunderstood. It would have the
nations know that It has nothing to con-
ceaI in the matter Of its protectorate
over the Hermit Kingdom. and so 1t has
issued an official document on Reforms
and progress in Korea" g. handsome
volume devoted TO eulogistic views of
what Japan's acknowledgement and the
other imperial officers Of Japan. have
been able TO accomplish.
Undoubtedly. this volume is called forth
partly by certain adverse criticism that
has reached the outside world regarding
the japanese occupation OF Korea. There
is a certain body OF people in the far East
who venture 10 say that the japanese
occupation has not been an unmixed
blessing for the Koreans, who have been
forced to give up agricultural lands TO
and who have seen fishing rights and
custom-houses pass into alien hands.
against which no adequate reprisals could
be made. So the volume issued by Japan
is q sort of an apology and an attempted
Justification Of Japan's work It AYERS,
first OF alias the foundation OF its
whole case-that the people Of Korea
through their Emperor. have willingly
sworn allegiance TO the japanese policy,
the Emperor OF Korea going IN person 10
the imperial mausoleum '1n order to
make solemn oath to the departed spirits
OF his imperial ancestors concerning the
adoption and carrying out OF a national
policy with view to the complete re-
form of Korea and its people" or course.
the book fails TO mention how. during the
Russo-Japanese war. Korean territory
was invaded by the japanese without so
much as a by-your-leave. and that when
the Korean Emperor protested against
the march to his capital, Seoul. he was
confined a prisoner to his palace. There
is no hint OF coercion IN the oath OF alle-
glance that the Korean Emperor took.
The book mentions the reforms that
have been put into execution in Korea,
and these include an entire revision of
the tax system, revision of Korean
currency; a system OF cooperative ware
house companies has been established,
tending to place the great plece-goods
trade In Japan's hands. The book does
not mention that while formerly Korea
had no public debt she has a large one
now; the exact figures are not known,
but in one year after the japanese occu-
patton IT amounted to 100000 yen. The
Korean railways have been turned into
purely japanese government concerns:
the Seoul legations have been abolished;
the mining. numbering. fishing. and other
productive forms Of industry have been
monopolized-these are the reforms for
which Japan apologies.
and if we desire to realize how farcieal
is the claim that the Korean people will
ingly submitted to the japanese yoke. we
have only TO recall how Marquis Ito had
to threaten and cajole TO induce the
Emperor 10 obey Japans viii in the mat
ter Of a acknowledgement. The Emperor
OF Korea was sequestered from his min
listers and advisers. and we have the an
thority Of Mr.. Putnam Weals that he
tried In van, as last resort, to appeaI
to the American legation for help.
The worst phase of the whole matter
is that Japan's official report would seem
to indicate that the japanese believe thar
all is well in Korea. England ana