Show I J I It t f i AND A HALF ALP YEARS or JAPANESE ADMINISTRATION IN TIlE KINGDOM UA VE ABOUT SOME RADICAL CHANGES Royal at Seoul i l jiM v I J JJ Jno J no 0 Korean Infantry Drilling Ji I u 1901 the Japanese have SINCE hal had paramount Influence In III Ko o oren ica ren and have been conducting the affairs ot that strange coun country try In the true truo Japanese fashion That they have ha ve not lIot made a coln I success of or orthe the experiment Is IH evident They havo tailed failed to 10 make themselves popular In their pi protectorate electorate and they th have havo not lIol been fortunate In other na nations With an all unqualified respect for tor their ability to accomplish what they undertook fo o bravely In a word the thc conspicuous c aptitude and remarkable capacity for that they showed In war have been absent nb ent In their attempt to bring order out of or chaos In Korea Korell Perhaps too much ban haR been expected 1 i 1 such Huch a of or them They fhe established standard by hy their management In Man churla hurla that the world 1 hits hus been In Inclined to look for lor the same skill und and success everywhere It has hIlS seemed all 1111 along that their theil alms and Intentions were good but bu t recent developments do donot donot not Indicate that they have made much toward towar the realization of or the popular hope The plucky little Islanders went to work nt their job with a right good will The reforms reforma planned were sweeping In character and the world hoped that they might be carried Into effect The fhe Japanese had been ex extremely extremelY particular to o r un understood that the Ule Independence of or the Korean Horenn empire was to be maintained sacredly as well as 18 the safety and 10 po e of or the Imperial Korean r orean royal roal house hOIl e The Tho convention made between the tho two countries In 1901 expressly t slip stipulated thin und and that Japan should have paramount control In the administration a tion of or the government Deliver the Goods This frank not of Korean In Independence dependence seemed to be exceedingly generous under the circumstances and It was WIS so by b the civilized world 1 in general At the time however vet veteran etan eran diplomats of or almost every country shook their heads doubtfully The the theory ory was attractive e they admitted but putting it Into practice would be quite another thing Tho effect of or this gen Ren generous erous Echeme was US to create n a soil of or dual government composed of Korean and aud Japanese advisers with divided powers and responsibilities It worlo It II was a u miserable failure from the very vcr If the two sols sets ot or rulers had been heen equal In tn mental equipment and ant experience und If It they had been endowed with the same dims alms and ambitions they might possibly have worked together after a u fairly satisfactory su tory fashion but they the had nothing whatever In common except hearty hearl dis dislike like and distrust Under those circum circumstances stances the whole scheme was cally unworkable from the start The Korean did not want and lInd th tho y met tin th Japanese advisers I with obstruction passive resistance In every The Koreans seem to have been mote than Ihan a match for the Japanese In political trickery For Instance An example of or the III way la In which Ko Korean Korean rean state affairs me conducted Is fur fui l b y a n bright American who was formerly adviser of ot the foreign ot of that empire He bays SUS that he was waR accustomed to go 10 again a und and again to the of or the tho ot or foreign af nr affairs fairs to urge oi on him certain of or reform which he regarded as al absolutely lute essential After repeated inter interviews Interviews views almost endless discussion tho minister would apparently agree to what he proposed The next thing the tho adviser heard from the would be bethe bethe the news of or the resignation of the min minister ister who had hll been brought with such Infinite labor to commit himself favor favorably ably the appointment of ot a mf V sr r cM cc Mv Ailed 11 Korean Peasants sor with Ith whom every step of or the same process must ho be repeated The he Japanese financial adviser adI er by on the Korean government the necessity of or the of or high enough to lo live lIe on with without out olit stealing from the people After u great deal of oC discussion with each min minister ister l separately he hi got them to promise to 10 met meet him on a 1 certain day In order ordel to 10 have Il 1 final and settlement of or the matter matt r At the appointed limn hour dressed In his frock floel coat und and sill silk hat Iho Japanese betook himself to the council chamber It lU deserted After AUer waiting an hour pot not a minis minister minister ter putting In on un appearance Iw went to the Japanese legation mill and complaint The Japanese chief of or le legation gation appealed to the Korean emperor and teemed his promise that the cabi cabinet net would arrange thi th matter accord accordIng Ing to the advisers plan The rhe clOr Issued publicly to 10 that thai effect but nt lit the slime same time lime he the ministers that If they the obeyed these pub public lic orders they the would certainly lose their heads i iOne One On Am American rican Opinion How Is It possible asks the per perplexed adviser to do anything with n government that avoids action netlon and al III allows lows Its to resign at lit the rate of or one une or two a week Willing Seoul an nn American thus pays his his re respects respects to II VI YI who bus been buen compelled to abdicate In favor of the crown prince 1 who is reputed to bo be boa beIl a Il most faithful reproduction of his fa father ther The rhe KOI orean can emperor him hils a set of or twenty or thirty men who may mil be hc com compared compared pared with the court cards In a n whist pack he Is haul pressed by b the Japanese he stops slops the sum game the cauls and deals the kings und and knaves around to the various min mill ministries so as liS to 10 make a new lIew combination tion In the of or the last eighteen el hleen months VI 1 Chi Yong Yon hUll lus been beon minister of foreign affairs n I Ill of or agriculture ture minister of justice and lint minister of the Intel Interior lot Ink lak Che HUll Kun hUll has been minister of once minister of or affairs once and minister of jus justice jn tice twice 11 Yong ong Ik an nn uneducated who does not hot even Oell keep his holly body has recently been of the mint governor of North commissioner to 10 buy IU Anam Amun ilce min minister ister of lit finance and minister of war wal gory time the cauls arc dealt the same old turn up hut but hutIn butIn In new Tle plates Just as you have laid your plans to the Jack of oC spades In the foreign the emperor grabs and the th deals them afresh and III the Jack jick of oC spades appeals In III the of agriculture or smiles at ht you blandly the II of or homo affairs I hUe have taken laken the to t make malte a list of or recent changes cl an es In the KOI can cabinet und and I find that one onu s resigned or were shifted from one department to 10 another last year nn 1 that there have been ell forty six transfers so far this year ar Persons wlm 1110 arc In a n position pollIon to tn know me that my list does not 1101 compile half of the changes that have really lellI been made but deals In eighteen months wilt will answer my Ill purpose In forming a Just estimate of or Japans to Korea orca all of these things inn must be he taken Into rHo consideration tion When mikado and his ors the task there was as r foundation of or ability or 01 in u country on which to 10 build There Th re W r rno no existing exl Institutions thaI could u bl taken over Jun jUH as they There were not nol even Cen ti live K I V realm who could bo be i on to 10 aw ni In the ot of regeneration Jal that she must tear nj J and she lur Ing material elsewhere hl built 1 j railroad th till I loaned Ih bankrupt treasury n II et money red text lext hook mul ers for fOl schools he ot oC the town laigo u army shipping f i s the tho ports mode war 1111 on III many d grading superstitions superstition nut Japan has nevertheless n failed according to her hN own She knows now she Rhe a fain mistake In guaranteeing enco of or the country she Rhe led 11 I by advice If Rh had enter Korea Torell with the avowed purpose of or lat tak latIng I Ing Into her on ow hands aril aM I running them to milt her IlIr own IdeM without regard to 10 what natives ol 01 the empire might say Bay or tho Ih of other countries think saved a n Rood llod deal of or precious time lime ml moue money and loss Insl of oC thai Ihal she Is forced forcel to adopt ndOI t this policy It may not he so easy to III make a II lob job of It I There Is Another Side All this Is only one side of or the bw bUll ness herl Is another anil it ami is 0 q view 1 that redounds to the or Ih Japanese Mim leans i In III Korci l or ll J those engaged eno etl In religious and aM work are c 10 t Mi ment their of ot the protectorate Is s gloomy In III the According to It Korea Korell Is outraged ov the e Injustices which the J pane e m heaping hell pIng upon her hr The rhe Koreans 1 angered beyond expression lon but bul th t v vUI arc UI crushed and cannot art Those who mo ale this way of or Ing In aie IlIe emphatic In their denunciation of Japanese methods of or r An All American pl in III l work In Korea vent to his nation n us liS follows During the occupation v have not picked out the cla 1 Koreans for t hut but hOle have Kept In nf r lice nce the sami Sall old venal enal crowd that Ihal hl always cursed the country These The e iri m lire are willing willi to act as ua puppets for Ih e and for fot this they lire ire aim universally loathed by b the Korean pet fo pie There Is no more cleanliness I 1 government circles than before T T venality of the Koreans li h n no 1101 bou checked hut but they the thi 11 the Japanese lal are all open ope to 10 l ai as themselves JOHN JOliN L E |