The New York herald., 1920-12-27
Japanese Blamed for Oppres-
sion, but Get Little Credit
for Reforms.
BIG PROBLEMS IN HAND
Humanizing of Prison System
Alone Due to Intelligent
Effort of Newcomers.
By CLARENCE q. poswoRrH.

liar political centres IN America. In
stead of being target for more or less
slSlful expectorators, # is an earthen
jar containing powdered stone and few
| glowing charcoals around which the peo-
pie gather to warm their hands, discuss
politics and grow retrospective as the
last few drinks OF sake lubricate their
| tongues
It was around one of these hibachi
that some Japanese were discussing the
pros and cons of the Corean situation
when THE HERALD representative Joined
the group OF rural diplomats. His ar
rival interrupted the train of thought
until the matter of the next President of
the United States had been settled satis-
| factorily, and then the conversation.
| drifted back to Corea.
| One of the oldtimers recalled the days
| OF the Japanese protectorate in that
country. TO illustrate the idea, he told
of the arrival of a. Japanese capitalist in
! Chemulpo who sought to develop a water
power there. In order to complete the
work, it was necessary to secure GER
tain strip OF land which the Japanese
found to be under litigation. Thinking
could effect speedy settlement of their
quarrel as well as an immediate pur-
chase of the land, he sought them out
only to learn that both were Ia Jail.
Led to Prison Reform.
The idea was this: The Corean Judge
had seized upon the contestants imme-
diately upon their arrival in court and
had incarcerated both, promising to
award the verdict to whoever 'came
across" first. The advent of the gentle
men from Japan resulted in their i'm
mediate liberation and mutually prof
table real estate transaction.
In fact it did more than that. The
Japanese visitor was so shocked at the
filth, crowding the cruelty Of Corean
prisons and the half starved condition
| of the prisoners that he Immediately
took the matter up with Prince Ito. Re
forms were instituted and new, sanl-
tary prisons were built. Then came
complaints of jail breaking When the
Japanese inquired as to the cause the
Corean jaters explained that the pris-
oners were too strong under the new
regime, which fed them too well.
In the old prisons 100 men received
thirty mems rations and We're conse-
quently too weak to resist authority.
but since the japanese had insisted
that 100 men should receive rations for
100 Vt was very difficult to keep the
prisoners within bounds--they had all
become too fat and strong. The Core
ans shook their heads and allowed that
things had come to q pretty pass when
prisoners got fat and strong.
Then the talk was circuinscribed 70
come down to the here and now and the
matter OF the financial embarrassment of
Corean peers was discussed. 1T seems
that these mobiles were given certain
gratuftfes by the Japanese Government
when Corea was finally annexed. In
fact the grants were some three or
four times greater than those given to
Japanese under similar circumstances.
They were supposed to be ample to sup
port the receivers (except In a few in
stances) in reasonable comfort for the
rest of their lives Now there is a rumor
that the japanese Government will
shortly receive n petition to make new
grants to those mobiles because they. after
the manner of all Coreans, from the
former Emperor down to the humblest
coolie, are notoriously improvident and
they have squandered their sustenance
1t looks now as though these men
would have to go to work get fresh
grants. or suffer the passing of laws to
prevent their disposing of the bonds
which earned the interest which made
UP their incomes-sort Of a House that
Jack Built proposition, out from under
which the prodigals have Kicked the
props.
Then a missionary happened in--or
at least ! suppose she Just happened
in--and then we got some real inforrna-
tIon on Corea and the Coreans The
missionaries are a much mooted ques-
ton out here juust now. or them there
I.fF
come to teach Christianity and the
brotherhood OF man, and do; those who
come TO do so and do not because OF
diversion Of their efforts 90 Npcitng revo-
luton through preaching sef-dotermina-
ton OF peoples 70 people who have no
self-determinatlon and never have had
any. and then there's another kind, who
just come.
The Terrible japanese.
It is really quite surprising that so
many varieties can emanate from a
single source. A survey OF the Far
East shows that q very large part Of
the advance made by the peoples OF tho
Orient is to be credited to the mis-
sionaries OF the first group who learned
charity and language and usefulness
and never unscrambled the trio. The
samo survey shows that a large part
OF the unrest, dstrust and trouble be-
tween the peoples OF the Orient Is 10 be
credited TO the missionaries Of that sec
! ond group. They admit most glibly
that they are told not TO mix IN poll
tics and that they promise not to. but
| IN the Same breath they admit that
they do mix In deliberately. because
the people who instructed them do not
understand" So this missionary proved
TO be one OF the mixers. Among other
things she said:
why, do you know, the Coreans arc
the most lovable, harmless people In
the world7 They wouldn't do anything
wrong. Why. the japanese have treat
ed them Just dreadfully. That IS. they
| did until we missionaries got after
them. and then they quit. DO you know
what the Japanese arc doing TO tho
Coreans now? Well, sir, they are treat
| ing them just as kindly and as lenientiy
as they know how. And do you know
why? Just so the Coreans will rise up
and do something dreadful, and then
they will have a good excuse to go In
there and kill lot OF them Yes sir,
that's lust what they're doing"
"But, Kind Lady" duoth I, you say
the Coreaus wouldn't do anything
wrong What makes you think this new
policy Of extreme kindness and Ienlency
on the part OF the Japanese will drive
them into doing something dreadful. as
| you say7"
"Oh. you don't understand as we do"
said she, and was off on another errand
| of mercy