The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-10-26
KOREA AT THE CONFERENCE


Korea, one Of the oldest of all the peoples OF
the EARTH is sending a special delegation rep
Presenting the Korean republic to the Washington
Disarmament Conference. The members of thu
commission have already arrived in this country
They represent government with headquarters
lin Shanghai that functions something like tn,
fugitive Sim Fein republic. But the Koreans
are not so bloody-mnded as the Sim Fem. They
are following fixed policy of peaceful resistance
They have made no demonstration of force against
their Japanese rulers. They pay to the Nipponest
Caesar the tribute that Caesar exacts but des.
pte their misery, they manage to collect enough
money to keep their eXiled government well sup
piled with funds.
These Koreans have a native faith in the sense
of justice of the American people They will con-
front the Japanese commission with a demand
that the principle of sef-determination shall be
extended to them, representing that the Koreans
have never given their assent to Japanese occu-
patton, that their liberty was bartered away with
out consulting them
While it is doubtful if the conference will be
able under the agenda to take cognizance of the
Korean protest, there is something appealing
about the native faith that these unique people
repose in the United States. To them It represents
some powerful force in the great world outside
weak peoples from ruthless oppressors. They do
not ask themselves why the people of the United
States should shed their blood and treasure to aid
people who are themselves incapable of armed
resistance, who have meekly held their necks to
he yoke of the oppressor. They believe in the
superior power of the people Of this country as the
lncient Greeks Of the age of Hector and Achilles
believed in their gods
Louis Seibold has painted for us a graphic pic
ure Of the struggle that is now taking place I'M
loTea between the natives of the country and the
apanese The foreigners are in charge of the
overnment, including the public-school system.
hey levy and collect taxes and take charge of the
rade and industry
To their dominion there is no active, visible
pposition but the people of the country refuse to
ccept the Japanese language or customs. They
ill not trade with the Japanese merchants or
de on the Japanese railroads. They hold to their
ncient Confucian faith and refuse to accept the
apanese version Of the teachings of Buddha. The
apanese are confronted by kind of patriotism
lat is nonresistant but that cannot be rooted out
il the while a government purporting to rep
asent the Korean republic is functioning at
hanghai. II
The Koreans have quaint customs and maXims
ocular to themselves When the Russians and
en- said: at is unfortunate for the Koreans for
hen the whales are fighting the shrimps are apt
get crushed"
One naturally wonders what these isolated peo-
e know about republic, word that formerly {
nd no place in their language and an idea that 4
the great majority of them must still be UNI k
telligible. They have adopted it because they v
elieve it is some fetish by which America has t
acome great. q
Destiny is stronger than any people. What a
lswer can the American commissioners make to i
lis Korean appeal? Their country has been allo-
ted to Japan by international covenants which !
II government respects Yet it gripes ones !
TART to think that, by our inaction we must adj =
it to them that we are unable to come to their
d. The setting of their great hope will be for j
EN- like the setting of the sun of their national
'. Civilization has evidently many stages yet t
make before it fully energies from barbarism. c
l----- u