The New York herald., 1921-10-13


Government, have defended their pol
Icy by comparing 1t with that OF the
United States in dealing with Mexico
The Coreans and Chinese protested
against the invasion and the Chinese
Government demanded the removal OF
the Japanese forces. which request
was only partly complied with.
A Canadian Presbyterian missionary
who conducted a school near Chientao
declared that Village after village was
daily being methodically burned and
the young men shot"
Confirmation Of this declaration was
provided by an official statement from
the Japanese War ONCE at Toxic
which read:
Fighting with the insurgents
in order to exterminate them.
shooting them to death during the
attacks upon their headquarters
and burning their rendezvous to
stop further troubles are matters
that cannot be avoided in dealing
with these treacherous rebels.
The only object our troops had in
view was to make secure Who
personal safety Of our fellow
countrymen and the protection
of their property even after the
troops were Withdrawn. =. We
regret that some missions, schools
and churches should be burnt
down after irrefutable evidence
was established that they were
being used as rendezvous by the
insur9ent elements"
Moved by the protests of mission
aries and Chinese Government off,
cials, the Japanese army headquarters
issued further statement defending
its action in invading the Chinese ter
ritory. It said that the unfriendly
acts Of "some unenlightened Coreans
in Chientao" were responsible for the
invasion. and that "in consequence,
japan approached China with the pro-
posal for q joint expedition against
those Coreans. but to no result"
When the depredations continued
the Japanese army statement said:
"yt Is no longer possible for Japan to
rely on China alone for the protection
Of her subjects In the district. so,
urged by the necessity Of preserving
peace and security in her domain and
Of saving her national prestige, Japan
has been obliged to mobilize her
army"
Baron Saito's Statement.
When most Of the Japanese force
was withdrawn the Coreans immedi-
ately resumed their propaganda, and
frequent clashes are said to have oc-
CURED In the region and in adjoining
Corean territory. Baron Saito, the
Japanese Governor General Of Corea
told me in the temporary building he
is occupying at Seoul while one Of the
picturesque old palaces Of the ancient
Corean Emperors Is being modernized
that "the Corean people are generally
not troublesome They are suscepti-
BILE to the influences Of propagandists
and agitators and are frequently led
astray. At times we are compelled to
resort to f1rmness In dealing with
these agitators. i believe the situation
generally is improving and that the
Coreans are coming to appreciate the
benefits that Japan has provided FOL
their enlightenment and progress. The
foreign missionaries are helping us
by educating the people. and have M
complaint to make against them
There are many difficulties, Of course
but we are optimistic and believe that
eventually the Coreans will be ele
waited to japanese standards"
The leaders Of the Corean independ
ence movement, while expressing
doubt on this point. accord credit te
the Japanese administration for con.
ferring some OF these benefits. They
erumerate an increase of 400 miles ir
railroads since annexation. 5000 ad.
ditional miles of telegraph, 14,00t
more miles Of telephone. 1000 miles Of
roads. double the amount of rice an,
other agricultural products, improve,
sanitary conditions in the cities. the
best hotel in the Orient, moving pic.
lures. tram cars. the restoration Oh
some Of the old parks. pagodas. tenn.
pies and shrines. But they say tina,
Japan and not Corea has been tn,
chief beneficiary Of all these things
and that Corea could provide them a
less cost under her own Government
They further say that all the bene-
Ats Of Japanese civilization" the Mi.
kado's Government may provide will
not make Japanese out OF Coreans.