The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-27

broke out simultaneously in many part
 of Korea, however, it took the govern
 ment almost completely by surprise.
 About February 15, some of tnes'
 Korean agitators had come secretly t'
 their native land and organized com mittees to begin a movement for estao
 fishing the nations independence. Then
 work was quiet and effective. Theii plan was to begin a passive revolution in which no property was to be damaged or destroyed and no persons, not ever Japanese, to be harmed. If the korean'
 were beaten, or imprisoned, they were t'
 take their punishment without complaint even suffering death rather than bring reproach on the Korean cause.
 After submitting that up to the time o
 his departure from Korea the people haf reiigiously observed the covenant of pas
 goes on to say that what really precipi
 tated the movement for liberty was a re
 port tha' the peace conference in Pari.
 was to adjourn permanently on March S
 and that unless the Koreans presented their grievances and claims for self-de
 termination before that date the Korean:
 forever after would be compelled to holc
 their peace and remain under the yok'
 of the "oppressor.'
 President Wilson's "A points," he said
 were we'll known to all educated Koreans
 and the seif-determination for small na
 tions feature made a strong appeal tC
 them. At the same time, it was reported
 that the peace conference had sent spe
 cial delegate to the far east to investi
 gate and report on Korean national af
 fairs. The Koreans therefore, bestirree
 themselves to show the envoy how bit
 terly thex resented Japanese "domina
 tion" Although never officially credited
 as such an envoy, John Jay Abbott, rep
 resenting large American financial inter
 ests, about this time was reported on th'
 way to investigate conditions in China
 and the Koreans immediately hit upor the hypothesis that Abbott was the rep
 resentative of the Paris conferees.
 Foreigners whose residence has been 1T
 the east but outside Japan proper" con
 tinued the report, ''are generally well ac
 quainted with Japanese dealings witt
 other nations. The same methods or Tn
 trigue, deception, brow-beating and force
 have been followed in China, Formosa
 Manchuria, Korea and recently in Siberia
 The people who have been so unfortunate
 as to cross their path have invariably suffered" Meanwhile, says the report
 ''the Japanese show themselves adept' at pulling the wool over the eyes O. sightseers. Foreigners who live in Korea and elsewhere in the orient are discreditee if they refuse to approve this miserable
 business of deception. We condemn i
 but without avail"
 "Japan's occupation of Korea, accord
 ing to the state departments informant
 has not been without it's advantage. Th'
 government has built fine public build ings, schoolhouses and roads, introduced im improvements in agriculture, reforestet waste lands and done scores of othe things to benefit the country. On thu other hand, Japanese rule in Korea thu past 10 years, it is charged, has beer characterized by ruthless and intoler able severity. land the Tokio governmen shows no disposition to correct it. Korea has not been held and admins istered for the benefit of the Korean but for the benefit of the conquerors, the report alleges. Koreans are in bond age so hard and uncomfortable that insur rection must break out frequently in tn future The amalgamation and aSsimila ton process is at an end. Bitterness De tween the two peoples is daily growth more pronounced. The passive revolu ton, it continued long, must develop Int fcrceful resistance"
 Among the allegations of maladminis tration made against the Japanese by th Koreans, according to the American's r' l port, are denial to the Koreans Of tn right of petition or appeal, denial of tn 1 right of the Koreans to speak their ow | language in the schools, race discrimina | tion in favor of the Japanese, both sc cially and in business and public affair: seizure of Korean crown lands, the dis possession of native tenants and thei | sale or lease to Japanese; the virtual pro l hibition of issuance of passports to kc reans desiring to travel and the absc lute lack of means by which the Korean
 may obtain redress of grievances.
 | ."The country is ruled by the most auto cratic military government in the world, | the report states. There IS no appes from it's decisions or laws to the Parlia ment in Tokio or to the Emperor. Tn governor general of Korea is as absolut | as was the Czar in his palmiest days. Th' I militarism forbids and prohibits every e1 pression of freedom. Its motive powe 1 is brute force. People are ruthlessly sht down and killed, and for the most trivia offenses are imprisoned for long terms. "The Koreans are homogeneous peo pie, possessing single spoken language a literature and authentic history extend I ing back thousands of years. Notwith standing this the Japanese have pro scrlbed the finest Korean literary work. ] forbidden Korean speech in the school and tried to destroy Korean historic dealing with past difficulties betwee Japan and Korea. Meanwhile they ar endeavoring to make young Korean speak only Japanese and in other ways t assimilate the nation"
 | From another source, dairy write l by a Korean in Pyeng Yang, who relate | certain incidents which occurred durin | the first five days of the revolution. 1 is alleged that on the day after the prot l lamation of independence was read. h and 19 other prominent Koreans ha | been called into the prefect's office an requested to sign paper stating tha 1 the declaration was prepared by "a lo' class of people and did not at all reI resent the sentiments of the real Ke reans."
 | The disclaimer, they were told, had bee | drafted in Seoul. where it had been wid' | ly signed by prominent Koreans an would be sent to the peace conference i All sorts of pressure was brought to bea 1 upon the 20 Koreans in Pyeng Yang | disavow the revolution, but, the diar states, '-every one of them refused to d SO"