Montana labor news., 1946-04-11

army Another member Of the council
is Ii sung Seul, who, since l94l, led
the Japanese assimilation movement"
designed 70 destroy all Korean culture,
including the use Of the Korean Ian
guage. Typical Of the official appoint
ments made on the advice Of this u
Gil was that Of Kim Chang Young as
vice mavor OF Seoul, to assist the AMG
officer charged with the administration
of the capital. Kim was formerly a
sergeant i'll the Japanese police in
Korea. and did so we'll at his job Of
tracking down Korean patriots for i'm
prisonment or execution that he was
rewarded By the Japanese with an an
nuity of $4,000 yen during the war.
In addition to the Democratic party,
the AMG also gave its backing to men,
bers of the exiled Korean provisional
overnmen,. who returned to Korea Don
after the American occupation forces
arrived. This provisional government,
headed BY Kim Koo. had been function
ing in Chungking since 1916 under the
sponsorship OF the most reactionary rul-
ing group in China-the anti-Soviet
80" clique. Its Washington represent
alive was DR.. Syngman Rhoo. who re-
turned to Korea in October with the
blessing Of the American State DEPART
ment, and whose subsequent political
speeches have been notable chiefly for
their violent attacks on the Soviet
Union. With the approval of the AMG,
those returned exiles began working
with the Democratic party to unite
n rul teal groups III Korea behind the
provisional government.
Having decided to rely on the advice
OF Kim koo. and the leaders Of the
Democratic party. the AMG naturally
adopted a policy oi suppressing the
Peoples republic and its supporters
the Korean Peoples party, headed by
L.yuh Woon Houng: the Korean Com
munist party, led by PAX Heun Young,
and the Korean trade unions. Many
leaders were arrested. their meetings
and demonstrations broken up, and
their freedom OF the press severely re-
stricted. Strikes led by the Korean
t.adc mons whath have grow rapid,
III strength since VI day. were broken
by the use OF American troops, and
on charges of causing disorder and I'm.
rest. TO justify It's use Of American
military support as a tool against strong
tinuCrai
party falsely charged that the central
committee Of the Peoples republic was
trying to disrupt the american occup
ton by setting itself up as a sovereign
government. The central committee
gave the lie to this charge. 1t consist
, emily and repeatedly proclaimed thai
it had no intention OF opposing The
military government; that its sole air
was to participate in the formation 0,
|, a genuinely unified and democratic gov
rnmen Tor Korea. But the People.
party and the Communist party stead
/. lastly refused the demand that the,
! unite behind Kim Koo's provisional
{ government on the grounds that thil
: would mean the continued dominance o
: the leaders Of the Democratic party
whom they regarded as pro-Japanes
and as traitors to the Korean people.
4 Thus, by the end Of l945, the situation
5 in Korea was one that threatened no
only to delay the emergence Of a genu
{ incly free and democratic Korea, bu
4 also TO lead TO a serious deterioration
n in .American-Soviet relations. AT thi
E point cam the conference Of foreigl