The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-05-01
KOREA BUILT
STEEL GLADS
800 YEARS AGO
Startling Facts about Hermit
Kingdom Are Reported to
Geographical Society.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May FL
George KEENAN,. explorer and lectur-
Ter, recently communicated to theI
National Geographic Society, att
years before the Monitor ana Merit
mack were created. The Hermit
Kingdom was using lIoable type and
astronomical instruments from thel
twelfth to the fifteenth centuries,
and employing explosive bombs long
before they were known in Europe,
He points out that the famous Papan-l
lese Satsuma pottery was made Orig
linally by orean workmen VINO werel
imported into the Mikado's k.ng-l
iom.
These facts are cited by Mr.. Ken-l
nan to show the terrific downfall ex-t
perienced b yKorea. He traces her
course from her pinnacle of civ!ltza-i
ton to the depth OF degeneracy, and
expresses great hopes for her future,
under the guidance of Japan.
while Korea was sinking, Japan
was rising, until the island kingdom,
all by ner own efforts, became such
world power as to defeat great
European nation" he says. The
Koreans were a maitland people.
They had laugh the medival Japs all
the civilization they had. But, by
reason of their geographical location
they were invaded by vastly inferior
peoples, the Mongols AMI the Man
chus. Korea was influenced to es-
taIblish demonolgy as her religion
lher blood was weakened by being
crossed with that of people vastly
beneath her and her spirit was
broken by the indignities heaped up-.
on her by tae more powerful In.
iya1ers. She was under the influence
of China, which adopted the semi
sacred books of Confucius as its ma
ltional system OF education 2,00O
years ago., he knowledge of his
works and the ability to recite long
chapters of his writings, were made
the chief requirements of the aspir-
ant for honors. AS a result, the
study of the sciences, mathematics
ana the phenomina of nature was
dropped; the memory was over-culti-
waited and the. reasoning power stu
titled. The habits of the Koreans
became unsleanly; they grew indif-
ferent TO- dirt and smells.
Japan, on the other hand, was
never invaded in her history; her
blood was never intermingled and
her stock was allowed to remain pure.
Her national character was developed
without outside influence. The Shinto
lreligion OF. the empire has as its car
dinal principles purity OF body, spirit
and environment. japan was not ex-
posed to the scourges and plaques
+, that Korea's dirt-and filth brought
/, upon her. The fuedal system sprang
up in Japan, causing authority to be
respected and discipline to be de-
veloped.
In 1910, Japan annexed Korea.
Prior to that time, as many deaths as
80 Ca day had occurred in the city of
Seoul alone: srortly afterwards not
as many people died from the plague
in the whole kingdom in one year
Japan forcibly vaccinated 100000
people in one year. One hundred and
i sixty-eight courts we're established
giving authority to 10000 gendarmes.
Hundreds of miles of roads are being
! built Afforestation on an extensive
scale is being carried on. To encour-
age the silk wor mindustry 100000
mulberry tree seedlings we're set out
/ none year. State and private banks
were established. The postal savings
system was installed and one in every
six families has savings account.
The people, at first suspicious, have
LEARNED that they will get their money
back whenever they ask for it. In the
first year after the Japanese occup-
ancy, the rice crop. was doubled, and