Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-16
DefelseIess Koreans
 Isd y Hundreds
Japanese Colonial System Thoroughly Pfussian In Military Severity - High School Students Imprisoned and Tortured.


 Korea was given out here today by the commission on relations with the Ori- ent of the federal council of the which comrni ission William l. Haven is chairman and Sidney l.. Gulick is sec retary: "
 eThe reports of atrocities against the Korean population and especially against the native Christians that have been coming from Korea for sey- eral months are confirmed in abundant detail by special report about to be issued by the commission on relations wit hthe Orient of the federal council of the Churches of Christ in America.
 After nearly three months study of the Korean situat tion, this commis- sion is issuing a statement based on the examfnat ton of about 1000 pages of manuscript reports of committees, letters, and the personal accounts of responsible eyewitnesses to the events attending the Korean demons trations in favor of national independence and their ruthless suppression by the Jap anese military government
 This report substantiates the charge that the Japanese colonial sys- tenn which has been forced upon the Koreans is thoroughly Prussian in it's military severity and it's treatment of the native population. Everywhere in Korea, it is stated. the sword is the emblem of authority.
 "The attitude of many of the Jap anese officials toward. their Korean subjects is Overbearing in the ex- treme- The recent movement for in- dependence was started by educated Koreans anxious to save the people of their country from national extinction and for the recovery of many of the elemental rights of Justice, such as the the press. of speech and assembly. which have been denied them by Japan.
 "They hoped by peaceful demonstra- r<v> <<f, rsr-1 -s<-k-, H. querors to attract the attention of the peace conference at Paris to their cause and to win from it the same opportunity for self-determination which other small and oppressed peo- ples have been led ito expect under President Wilson's famous fourteen points.
 The invariable procedure of~ the so-called revolutionists was to as-. sembIe, usually carrying the national colors and shouting 'Mansei' (equiva-, lent to the Japanese Banzai or to our 'hurraho- In no case was anything more violent attempted, nor were arms borne by the revolutionists. In scores of cases these defenseIess demonstra-. tors were fired upon by Japanese troops and killed or wounded by hun dreds. In other instances. native high school students, of boths sexes WlIes of 6ss fissrs hprisonea m G and tortured. The stripping and beating of girl. demonstrators and the brutal treatment of Korean women by Jap-. anese soldiers were frequent. while. bands of armed Japanese thugs were turned loose upon the Korean crowds.
 Because fifteen prominent Korean Christians were among the thirty three signers of the declaration of na- tional independence. the Japanese made their suppression of the move ment the occasion for a relentless warfare against Christianity in Korea a1J ,f II, men were summoned to meet in the local churches. when they were fired upon by Japanese troops and the buildings, burned to the ground with all occupants.
 , From March 1 to April H. 3e1 Ko- reans were known to have been killed and 860 wounded. The latest reports are to the effect that while the public ceased,ethe arrest and torture of sus- pected persons by the police were con- tinuing and that a reign of terror pre- vailed.
 That the forbearing policy of the federal. councils commission has met with an appreciative response from the Japanese government is evident from the following cablegram just re- ceived from the Hon 4Takas shi Hara, premier of the imperial cabinet
 .1 desire to assure you that the report of abuses committed by agents of the Japanese governments in Korea has been engaging my most serious a attention. l. am fully prepared to look squarely at actual facts as have de- clared on various occasions, the regime of administration Einaugurated in Korea at the time of annexation, nearly ten years ago, calls for sub stantial modification to meet the all tered conditions of things. Ever since the forma ation of the present cabinet in September. last I have been occu- pied in working out the scheme of needed administrative reforms in Ko- req. A comprehensive plan of reor- ganization with this object in view has already. been on the. tapis. For obvious reasons it. has not been pos- sible to proceed at once to its formal adoption in the presence of the dis turbances which. have unfortunately broken out in various parts of the peninsula.
 .In view. however. of the recent in the situa tion. the con- ternplated reform can now be, in my estimation, safely introduced and win be carried into effect as soon as tho legal requirements of procedure to make them definitive shall have been completed.'