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Show DECLARES KOREA IDEflll HEEL Reports of Atrocities Committed Com-mitted by Japanese Confirmed, Con-firmed, Report Says. Statement Bearing on Situation Situ-ation Issued by Federal j Church Council. V NEW YORK, July 15. The following statement concerning the situation in Korea was given' out today by the commission com-mission on relations with the Orient of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, of which commission William I. Haven is chairman, and Sidney Sid-ney L. Gulick is secretary: "The reports of atrocities against the Korean population and especially against the native Christians that have been coming from Korea for several months are confirmed in abundant detail by a special report about to be issued by the commission on relations with the Orient of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. "The commission wishes to make it clear that, while it has no jurisdiction to speak on the political issues at stake in Korea, yet, as representing the Christian Chris-tian sentiment of a majority of the American churches, it can not remain silent si-lent when a defenseless people are made the victims of massacre and widespread brutality. "After nearly three months' study of the Korean situation, this commission is Issuing a statement based on the examination exam-ination of about 1000 pages of manuscript manu-script reports of committees, letters, and the personal accounts of responsible eyewitnesses eye-witnesses to the events attending the Korean demonstrations in favor of national na-tional independence and their ruthless suppression by the Japanese military government. Charges Substantiated. "This report substantiates the charge that the Japanese colonial system which has been forced upon the Koreans is thoroughly Prussian in its military severity sever-ity and its treatment of the native population. popu-lation. Everywhere in Korea, it is stated, the sword is the emblem of authority and is even worn by male school teachers in the class room. "The recent movement, for independence was started by educated Koreans anxious to save the people of their country frow national extinction and for the recovery of many of the elemental rights of justice, jus-tice, such as the use of their own language, lan-guage, freedom ol the press, of speech and assembly, which have been denied them by Japan. "They hoped, by peaceful demonstrations demonstra-tions of passive resistance to the conquerors, con-querors, to attract the attention of the peace conference at Paris to their cause. "The invariable procedure of the so-called so-called revolutionists was to assemble, usually carrying the national colors and shouting 'Mansei 'equivalent to the Japanese Jap-anese 'Banzai' or to our 'Hurrah'). In no case was anything more violent attempted, at-tempted, nor were arms borne by the revolutionists. rev-olutionists. Attacked by Japanese. "In scores of cases these defenseless demonstrators were fired upon by Jap-aive Jap-aive troops and killed or wounded by hundreds. In other instances, native high school students of both sexes who had joined the processions in behalf of Korean Ko-rean liberty were imprisoned and tortured. tor-tured. The stripping and heating of girl demonstrators and the brutal treatment of Korean women by Japanese soldiers were frequent, while bands of armed Japanese Jap-anese thugs were turned loose upon the Korean crowds. "From Marrm 1 to April 11, Kl Koreans were known to have been killed and 8Gr (Continued on Page 2, Column 2. DECLARES KOREA HER lit El (Continued from Pago Ono.) wounded. The indignities to a few foreign for-eign missionaries, and especially the arrest ar-rest and imprisonment of the Rev. Eli M. Mowry, are already well known in America. The latest report are to the et'ftct that the arrest and torture of suspected sus-pected persons by the police were continuing con-tinuing and that a reign of terror prevailed. pre-vailed. "That the forbearing policy of the federal fed-eral council's commission has met with an appreciative response from the Japanese Jap-anese government is evident from the fallowing cab) .'gram just received from the Hon. Takashi Hara, premier of the Imperial cabinet: Premier's Statement. " T desire to assure you that the report of abuses committed by agents of the Japanese government in Korea has been engaging my most serious attention. I am fully prepared to look squarely at actual facts. As I have declared on various va-rious occasions, the regime of administration adminis-tration inaugurated in Korea at the time of annexation, nearly ten years ago, calls for substantial modification to meet the altered conditions of things. A comprehensive compre-hensive plan of reorganization with this object in view has already been on the lapis. " 'In view, however, of the recent improvement im-provement in the situation, the contemplated contem-plated reform car, now be, in my estima- fi.,,. fnli- it,-, -A,t, .art i.ill V,A fiirrlpd into effect as soon as the legal requirements require-ments of procedure to make it definite shall have been completed." "The commission on relations with the orient has sought, in the months that it has ben studying the situation, by the Instrumentality of friendly methods and conferences with officials and other prominent prom-inent Japanese in America to exert influences in-fluences that might secure constructive and permanent relief for the Koreans. 1 The commission deemed it only fair and just to take up the matter first with these interested parties rather than add to the public excitement and political turmoil by making statements that' might not be susceptible of proof. It now feels that the facts as outlined speak for themselves, them-selves, and that American people will bo enabled to express intelligent judgment upon them." The commission also makes public part of a cablegram from Viscount Uchida, minister of foreign affairs in Tokio, wherein he confirms the assurances of Premier Hara, that the latter is striving to remedy the Korean trouble. The message mes-sage thanks the Americans for their "cordial "cor-dial and friendly spirit," and asks for a continuance of their ",k,ane and moderate attitude." The inquiry wa-3 undertaken, the commission com-mission says, at the request of representatives repre-sentatives of the Presbyterian and Methodist Meth-odist churches and the American Bible society. It was based upon revelations made by the Rev. A. E. Armstrong, secretary of the board of foreign missions of the Presbyterian Pres-byterian church of Canada, who returned to the United States from Korea last April. The Japanese government was kept informed of the disclosures. The documents given out, it is said, were compiled with the aid of thirty Americans and Britons in Korea. One such report estimated that more than 6000 Koreans were in. prison, for political , offenses. "There Is every reason to believe." says Chairmen Ht.ven and Gulick in conclusion, con-clusion, "that Premier Hara and his colleagues col-leagues will exert their fullest power to rectity wrongs r.nd inaugurate a new era in Korea. Americans should give the strongest possible moral support to the progressive and antimflitarist movements in Japan. This we can do, not by wholesale whole-sale condemnation of the Japanese government gov-ernment and people, but by distinguishing distinguish-ing between the reactionary, autocratic forces that have too largely dominated her policies and leaders that are now coming to the fore. Hope for Korea, and indeed fr?r China, and the whole world, lies in the overthrow of militarists in Japan as in every land." |