Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-20

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hall and smaller outbuiIdings.. Dona-
/ tons VIII be most gratefully received.
r. H. Trent is the treasurer. and he
will acknowledge the receipt of the
same or furnish any further informa-
| ton.
The story of the life of DR.. Syng-
man Rhee, author, editor and minis
ter, is one ,of masked interest, and
he gives the following version Of IT.:
Il was born of IA respectable fam
lily in Korea, and early trained in the
philosophy and ethics of Confucius.
My earliest recollections are associ-
|ated with daily study Of great books
spread out before me, whole pages
|of which / was expected to commit
Ito memory. My parents ambitions
was to lrain me for government
position, only to be secured through
much study and political patronage.
II recall the fact, also, that my moth
Ter tcck me in my boyhood days, es-
|pecially on the anniversary of my
birth, to the Buddhist temple The
temples are usually built in quiet,
distant retreats, and ] must say that
these visits made profound impress
sion on my youthful nature, and great
ly fostered my religious instincts.
'.In due time learned Of the COM
ing into my country Of the Christian
missionaries, and soon partook of the
common feeling of surprise and en-
nifty. We called christianity the "re-
ligion of the foreign devils, and
prayed earnestly to our native gods
for its utter destruction before it
should harm our beloved land 1t was
not long before the American mission
aries opened school in which boys
were taught not only the truths of
the Christian religion, but also a
knowledge of the English Language
Without. letting my parents know, /
entered as pupil for the sole pur-
pose OF acquiring the nse of the Eng
lishs tongue in order.to qualify myself
more fully for government position.
At first the missionaries did not make
a very deep impression upon me until
one day learned from the great
truth of freedom, which Christian
civilization brings to a depressed and
down-trpdden people, such as mine
were. drank deeply from the foun-
tain of this great truth, which greatly
appealed to me- / also longed to
make it known to my fellow country
men, bound in the chains of political
and religious slavery. Other stu
dents of the school shared with me in
this same desire, and It. was not long
before we decided to issue little
paper, the first to be published in my
country in the interest of this new
ruth. The missionaries faithfully
warned us of the danger of such
venture, for as yet the great masses
of our people were cropping in the
darkness of superstitions and the an-l
thorities were opposed to any express
sion of political freedom
'1n due time the sentiments of our
paper excited widespread interest,
and several hundred of the brightest
and mcst influential young men of
Seoul organized themselves into so
ciety. for the purpose of securing
larger political liberty, as well as
greatly needed government reform.
The authorities became offended and
trouble arose. Several arrests were
made and the leaders Of the new
movement were thrown into prison
and among others. / was tried and
sentenced to death For seven years
was confined in a Wretched cell in
i dark, dirty prison, my feet IN stocks
md my hands in chtzins behind my
cack, while / was obliged to wear
lay and night a wooden collar. made
If thick board or plank three feet |
ong. two feet broad and Some Inches
hick. Il was quite Impossible q lie
down during these weeks and months