Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-19
JAPAN IN KOREA.
A Picture of a Happy, Prosperous, Re.
generated Korea.

government service us IL teacher lit
used to be at the Military School in
Toxic and then in the First College
| in that place Then while Korea was
still Korea he went to Seoul to fount
tile German department i'll the For
eign Language School. then run by the
Korean government and now eontin.
ned by the japanese
Korea is now fully 100 per cent
better in every way than il was be-
fore the Japanese occupation said
Prof. Bolljahn yesterday at the Wald-
orf. What the Japanese have done
there for the improvement of the
country is astonishing by comparison
with cid conditions, and this is char
acteristic not only of Seoul but of the
whole country. The latest undertake
ing of the governing power is the de-
velopment of a great railway system
which will give employment to thou
sands
THE Koreans used to be a lazy,
shiftless lot. but they have been en-
tireIy reconstructed. The lower class
es used to lie about in the streets
smoking their long pipes and never
had ambition. They did not know
what il meant to save money When
the japanese started out to establish
savings banks the Koreans thought.
Another trick to get our money
away from u.s. But when they found
that not only could they draw in
terest but could withdraw their orig
inal capital from the banks whenever
they liked. a lot of them began to
gave in this way. The government
has established savings banks in the
smaller places. and these the police
departments have charge of.
"Thc missionaries out there are do
ing great work, principally in the way
of education, though they are also
making Christians out of some of the
natives. The latter are becoming in
dustrious and they now keep their
houses in some degree of cleanliness
They have learned about sanitary me
thods. A few years ago there was
a cholera epidemic and the police
went from house to house insisting
that the occupants should keep their
dwellings clean. japanese doctors
lectured everywhere on the principles
of hygiene and the peoBe now under
stand them. Under japanese rule.
Korea has become a really fine coun
try. The present governor general.
Niscount Terauchi. who is at the same
time war minister is energetic and
has shown that he has the welfare
of the Koreans at heart. For instance
he has made Jaw regulating bust
ness which has done a great deal of
good. Formerly it used to be possible
for anybody to set up business in
Korea, even if he had no capital and
no character. The result was that Il
lot of unprincipled men used to
squeeze and fleece the natives, and
it stirred up bad feeling. Under the
new law a man who sets up Il shop
must have a license and give satisfae-
tory assurance of character and fl
nancial standing. Some of the Jap
anese did not like this new order Of
things, and they started an agitation,
supported by two of the newspapers,
and are attacking the justice of the
governor as manifested not
only toward Japanese but toward
Koreans. The governor-general does
not mind
Farming has been greatly i'm
proved Throughout Korea Agricul-
tllral schools and experiment stations
have been established. One of the
former is near Seoul. Farmers in
various parts Of the country get prac-
teal instruction By experts, who
show them the benefits of modern
methods, and the result will soon be
great increase in the products of the
country. They are trying grain
from America, Japan and other coun-
tries, and seeds are being distributed
free.
Then the government is doing Il
lot to encourage reforestation. The
mountains and hills of the country
are bare. The Korean system of heat
ing their houses requires the burning
of lot of wood without replanting
| The people are now being taught te
protect trees and large areas are be-
| ing replanted throughout the country
Much is being done in the way Of
harbor improvements. At Chem
uplo. the leading seaport, they are
| making an immense harbor ano
dredging so as to permit the entrance
| of the largest steamers and building
| big docks. For this purpose the gov.
eminent has voted about 14.000,o00 yen
| They are spending 100000 yen on
| highways throughout the country ane
| they are going to spend about 49,,
! 600. 900 yen on the new railways
| Within six years everything will b'
completed. The original program was
| to cover eleven years, but the govern
| or general has succeeded in getting
| Parliament to rush the work.
I'm the way of education grea
| deal is being done. They have estab
lished splendid normal school an'
they are now about to establish IN
dustrial schools in the principal towns
| These are greatly needed and VII
grow. There are now good commol
i schools all over the country. .
course you cannotsforce education int
/ the Koreans. because they are not VI
to it. The foreign schools are reall'
g. collection of colleges, something Xix
ii university. They used to be separ
ate but are now under one jurisdic
| ton. OF the foreign languages tn
demand is greatest now for japanese
because the natives need this languag
as well as their own. Both ar
taught in the common schools.
'Thc foreign language schools wer