The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-03-28
Spy From Korea
'AdUertises' His Work

'Aduertises' His Work
| have just had lunch with the
only spy | ever met who advertised
his profession.
1T is most dark right under the
lamp" he said to me as he scooped
up sheaf of highly intriguing doc
uments which he had spread on the
table before me, slipped them into
worn portfolio and whisked the
upper.
We were sitting at corner table
in one Of Washington's sublimated
chop suey restaurants.
My spy was one OF these plotters
but he Haunted his plots before me
quite openly. Some secrets may be
hidden behind the smiling Sits Of
eyes of Kilsoo Kenneth Ham. for
that is his name. but he has con-
vinced at least one senator that that
information which he has turned in
gratis TO various secret agencies of
the government is very welcome.
Hates Japanese.
Ham is Al. short. engaging, an
oriental cherub in glasses, with a
cast OF countenance that would
make you think he was a Japanese
(Which. he says. some Japanese do).
But his calling card says that he
Is head Of the Sino-Korean Peoples
league. And Koreans love the Jap
man.
Briefly Hams history. as he tells
II, is this:
He was 10 years old when the
Japanese took over Korea and his
first memory OF that tragic event
Is the view he got from his hiding
place under q chicken coop when
the soldiers marched into his viii
lage.
Ham soon left for Hawaii. Then
one day. five years ago. because he
had been active among his fellow
Koreans, he was approached by a
member OF the Japanese consulate
in Honolulu who offered him job
helping to organize all Orientals in
a sort OF pan-Asiatic movement I'M
der the Japanese. The next year,
when a delegation Of American con-
grcssmcn visited the islands to
study the possibility of Hawaiian
statehood, Ham told them all he
knew in a public hearing.
A part Of the documents he showed
me was a letter from a senator
thanking him for his services at
that time in exposing the grandiose
Japanese scheme. That was Hams
first advertising of his chosen profess
sion. He was soon 10 get more. The
Japanese press attacked him. He
was spat upon in the streets. His
life was threatened.
Comes to America.
The next year he came to Amer
lea with one chief objective, he
says, and it was in describing his
purpose that he quoted the proverb
about the lamp
1t is we'll known that Koreans,
some of whom can pass for jap
anese and many OF whom live in
Japan and in the occupied portions
OF China, maintain a voluntary spy
system and grapevine telegraph.
They still hope to win back their in
dependence
Haan claims that he wants to Sc
cure the financial and moral sup
port Of the United States govern
ment to create a real cooperative
Korean spy system against the Jap
anese
His method OF advertising the
ability Of a Korean to get informa-
ton from the japanese is TO get it
himself He told me Of his latest adj
venture over the chicken chop suey
and tea From his Korean friends
in Japan Ham said that he had
learned that two japanese reserve
officers we're on their way to the
United States to prepare japanese
IN this country for a war. They
we're bearing notorious text book
OF propaganda and procedure. the
translated title Of which is Three
Power Alliance and Japan-America
War"
Ham set out TO locate the officers
and get the book, first notifying GER
tain authorities in Washington of his
intention. The task seemed so inn
possible that one man, who needn't
be named, bet S25 that the indefat-
gable Korean couldn't succeed.
The book, according to Haan. il
now IN the hands Of the proper au-
thorities here and he has SOS in his
story.