The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-29
Prince of Korea Not Thought Much
Of While Alive, But Became
Hero After
Death.
JAPs SUPPRESS FACTS
Missionaries Have Been
Arrested on Suspicion Of Hav-
ing I~nstigated the
Trouble. 9
B United Press.l


Americans just arrived from Seoul
have brought copies Of a manifesto
published there March /, proclaim
ing the independence of the formers
kingdom OF Korea. Publication of
the manifesto. which expresses great
bitterness against Japan, has been
prohibited to the newspapers in
Tokyo by the home office authorities.
This proclamation urged Japan to
grant independence to Korea for
Japan's sake as well as for that of
Korea and as a step to make certain
the peace of the orient. Such a move
on the part of japan, ssays the mani
festo, would forever remove the
s~mouldering doubts of the 400, 900 900
people in China and would show
Japan forth as the true protector of
the east"
The uprisings, in connection with
which the first manifesto was pub
lished in the former Korean capital,
have spread to all parts of the penin-
sula, and the latest reports are that
they are still growing worse and
there is little hope for an early
restoration Of order.
The disturbances started in connec-
ton with the preliminary ceremonies
of the funeral of the Grand Prince
vi, former emperor Of Korea, who
died January q. Though little rever-
ence was shown the grand prince
while he lived, after his death a
rumor spread over the country, which
made him at once a national hero
According to the story, the aged
prince did not die of apoplexy, but
of poison which he took in order that
his death might forestau the we'd
! ding Of his son to n of the i'm
perial ~princesses Of Japan, for 1t Is
a custom among the Koreans that a
son may not marry for three years
after his fathers death. The grand
princes death occurred just four
days before the Imperial wedding
was to take place in Tokyo, where
the bridegroom-to-be, had already
arrived with his suite.
Though the riots in Seoul and else
where have been minimized by the
minister of communications, Mr..
/ NDda, who went to Korea to repre-
sent the Japanese government at the
royal funeral, they have been seri'
Gus enough to lead to several deaths
at various places and to numerous
arrests. According to some OF the
Tokyo papers, several American mis-
| ~sionaries have been arrested and are
under secret examination, being sus.
pected of having instigated he
Korean uprisings.
Japanese officials say that the
| Korean riots were started by the
Chun-do Kyu cult (Teachings Of
Heavenly Ways), whose adherents,
they say, have long been trying to
obtain independence from Japan.
Followers Of this cult are variously
reported to number from 100000 TO
100000 Koreans.
The manifesto published in Seoul
called upon the people to refrain from
all violence, and a sort of passive
resistance to Japanese authority has
marked all the demonstrations.
Korean youths and girls are refusing
to attend the schools, and among the
arrests have been several students Of
the government higher girls school.
The Koreans are entirely without
arms. and American witnesses Of the
| Seoul demonstrations say that the
crowds were not dangerous except
when goaded to violence.
The Koreans say, according to re-
ports, that the manifesto Of March 1
will be followed by others. Thirty
three prominent men of Seoul signed
the proclamation, including members
of the Chun-do Kyu, Buddhists, Con
~fucianists. Protestants and Roman
Catholics. All of these who could be
found were at once arrested along
with other Korean leaders.
An American business man who
has just returned to Tokyo from Seoul
gave the following description OF the
imperial funeral:
"The funeral of the late grand
prince was a memorable sight, but
the most impressive thing about 1t
was the great crowds Of Koreans who
, thronged the city. We were told that
there were at least 100,000 Korean
farmers in the city for the day, all