Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
execution had taken place and both times his
father came the following morning to take away
his body.

FINALLY, at the within of one of the judges.
the stock was removed and his sentence
made life imprisonment. For six years he re-
NAMED in prison, but during the last four, cone
ditions were made easier.
He started q school in the jail and 40 OF
his fellow prisoners became Christians and some
Of them became famous in later years. He
wrote book, which was struggled out and
printed in California and is known as The
Spirit Of the Independence Movement"
With the outbreak of the Russian Japanese
War the conservatives and pro-Russian forces
collapsed and Rhee was released from prison.
Although for time the Japanese had thought
him to be on their side because he was opposed
to the Russians, they found Immediately that
what he wanted was Korea for the Koreans, not
for the Japanese, so he was forced to escape
from the country as quickly as possible
He was released in August and Prince Min
tried to get him appointed envoy to Washing
ton, but the Japanese prevented it. He left for
America in September, and in the harbor of
Honolulu met Mr.. Taft, then Secretary of War,
who gave him letter to President Roosevelt
whom Rhee was able to see at the time of the
peace conference between Russia and JapanS
but since he had only personal and not diplo-
matte standing it was not possible to accomplish
anything.
The next year the young Korean entered
George Washington University as special stu
dent and in two and a half years graduated
with an A. B. degree. Two years later he got
an M. A. degree from Harvard, and the follow
ing year Phi. D. degree from Princeton at the
last commencement at which Woodrow Wilson
presided.
nURING all his student career, Rhee had
supported himself by speaking, mostly In
churches. On finishing his studies he had de.
cided to give up political activity and was per.
suaded by the Y. M. C. A. to go back to Korea
to start student religious and educational work.
He would not, however, cooperate with the
Japanese, and as they were about to arrest him
he managed to leave the country as delegate
to the Methodist Quadrennal conference In
Minneapolis in 1912, and has never been back.
In 1918 the Koreans in Hawaii invited him to
come there. When he arrived he found several
Thousand Koreans rather adrift in the world
and decided that they needed a school He es.
tablished one which now has the support Of the
best Americans on the Islands and has sent
many students to colleges on the mainland.
Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910 and
ruled it with military ruthlessness. On March
l. 1919 the funeral of the late Korean Emperor
ceremonies there simultaneously staged o
revolutionary demonstration involving hundreds
of thousands Of Koreans who shouted for inde-
pendence, but attempted no violence.
The leaders Of the revolution elected fun
government, composed mostly or wholly of men
outside the country. Syngman Rhee was In
America and was elected President of the re-
public and continues to bear the responsibility
though 1t is as president of the Korean national
commission that he has really active functions.
(CO wright 1920