Reading for Everybody.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2097, 25 January 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Reading for Everybody.

A YANKEE TILT FOR AN EMPIRE,

HOW TAVO AMBITIOUS AMERICANS ENGAGED IN THE LISTS OF DIPLOMACY, AYITH KOREA AS THE STAKE.

(By AViUiftm T. Ellis, in “Harper’s AVeekly.”)

Back of the day’s news there gen--Kv orally lies the really interesting story ; ■' that is the province which the novelist invades. But no novelist ever imagined a better story than lies concealed behind the scarcely intelligible despatches which have come from Korea, and trom the Hague, eoncerniug Korea. 9 These cablegrams are but moves—feints, thrusts and parries—in a prolonged duel between two rival Americans at the capital of “The Land of the Morning Calm.” Interest in the great contlct is deepened by the fact that the duelists arc champions of two opposing countries, and that the prize is nothing less than the very existene of the second oldest nation in the world. Korea's hope is centred in her champion, Homer B. llulbert, an American knight errant, who has ehivai'.rously staked iiis all upon an endeavor to save Korea from Japan. Opposed to him is one of the ablest, best-equipped and wor.ldv-wise advisrs ever emp'.oved bv the Mikado’s . Government, AY. D. Stevens, whom official Washington knows as an attractive. effective and far-sighted diplomat. In sheer ability. he is . probably Hulbert’s superior, blit the latter takes big risks, which qualities often give him the advantage. Of late he SEEMS TO BE SCORING HEAVILY. In order not to speak in mysteries, a tow words ot explanation concerning the political conditions existent in : Korea are necessary. It was primarily over Korea that the late war was fought; for Korea is a "buffer State,” between Russian aggression on the north and Japanese posssession on tho south. For decades there have probably been more international intrigue and big politics of the ■ dime-novel sort at Seoul, where dwells the Korean court, than in , any other capital in the world. Not to go into Korea’s ancient history, when she gave civilisation to Japan, nor even into the comparatively recent events of a dozen years ago, . when the Japanese murdered the late King’s clever wife, in a daring, but abortive attempt to. seize the Government, it must suffice to sav that both Russia and Japan regarded tho control of Korea as esesntial to the carrying out of their national • politics. China and Germany, t'o (tho former being Korea’s ancient suzerain), were quite willing to figure in . the situation, of the two prime plotters would give them a chance. jMeanwhile the Korean patriots were not idle. Conditions were ripe for what one of them designated ,t > me as their “automatic self-cleansing method, a dynastic, revolution.” That is to say, when conditions get so bad that they could not be wo se, the reigning family would bo thrown out and a fresh start made. The machinations, however, prevented tlm; revolution from being carried into effect. ■The lately deposed King was 1 o good —a weak, weeping, wailing creature, without a backbone, who mourned jus country’s fall, and pleaded fi r help, holding out trembling hands to the world; and when any one of the plots was found out by the Japan ewe, he promptly disowned _it. I was frankly told when in Korea that ’t was the lack of force and character in the reigning monach —he called himself an Emperor, because he t 'ought the titue fashionable and which hindered the work of tl e Korean patriots. The ilate Grown I rince, ' who is now the puppet king, is even more incompetent than, his lather; and he will have no heir. Too rec- ... ond son was educated in America, and has of late been made much ot by the Japanese; but he • STILL REMAINS AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY. This precious ex-King was an absolute prisoner in his palace; nobody could se him without a Japanese pass. . He did rofuse, as did also his Prime Minister, to sign a treaty surrendering the control of the nation to the Japanese, although Marquis Ito took ..a company of armed soldier:.; into the royal presence and tried to force him to do so. Nevertheless that '“treaty” was promulgated by the Japanese as genuine. The government of Korea i 3 now absolutely m Japanese hands—which gives Mr. Stevens an immense advantage. Japanese policemen and soldiers keep down the Koreans, and make it possible tor the hundred thousand Japam so immigrants to work their own sweet will throughout the country. The result has ben a series of outrages which have no parallel nearer hanythe Congo. Marquis Ito assured me that Japan is doing every thing in her power to suppress this lawlessness; the ' Koreans- on the other hand, say that •guilty Japanese are not-punished, iiiids -that no Korean can obtain redress ton ithe most flagrant; wrongs frouj. the- .. Japanese yin • . a Here enter the Yankee d-'‘lists. situation was- one -calling lor tho Occidental type of brains- and the Occidental cospolitamsm. Japan had the right man at hand. Am V. Stevens had been the confident. 1 . adviser of her legation as Was! ngton •for several years. He had previously been in the Foreign Office at; I Ohio, whither he had been called fi rm a subordinate position in the American legation. He Is a typical modern American man of affairs, the sort to he seen walking self-con fidently down town between nine and ton any niornin". He is master cf the suaviter in modo” :he knows met; he knows the world; ho knows how to handle big thugs, and how to create impressions and influence popular sentiment. His well-trained Icgnft brain is responsible lor not a few of the measures which HAVE UNCHANGED MARQUIS ' ITO’S REPUTATION. ’’ -So SttYrguis was installed—grim irony!-—as Adviser to the Korean Emperor,” -and paid from the Korean Treasury. H e speaks sardom .cally of “my Imperial master,” but Tie goes up the hill to the incidence of Marquis Ito for his orders. Ho was in a sense, the Emperor’s gaoler; and ho refused mo permission to .see his royal prisoner. That there might bo no misunderstanding as to Vho status of the case, I had the ro--lursai confirmed by Marquis Ito liim•self, after an hour’s conversation with -that interesting chi gentleman. Of -course, I was more interested, as a ■journalist in confirming the report Ah at tho King was a prisoner in -lapuin** 1 lands than I waft in seeing that 'timorous King himself.

Stevens is a .charming man lor a journalist to meet; I could wish lie •were in Congress, for he is still a well-, posted and "ardent American. But he is loyal to the polite nation which he hail so lone served with skill ; and of a piece with the loyalty is his d ostestation of Hni’.hert. And this nervous, hlack-hearded schoolmaster is certainly to he reckoned with. He first went to Korea twenty years ago, under appointment from the American Government, i)t. the request of Korea for educators. With a bent for writing. be hud put out numerous educational publications in the vernacular, and ho has issued two books upon ko vi in this country. He is the foremost living authority on things Korean, ijis primary formidableness, though, ieowe from his authorship of the “KorReview,” a little blue-backed moirtlfly, of the sort issued by backcountry colleges, ami strugg’ing charitable societies. But Hulhert has -made it pay expenses, with a trifio unpretentious little "Korean ‘ -Review,” which an American ex--ehange editor would, scarcely, lor/k at ■twice, is filled with ginger rattlc•snakes and dynamite. Hulhert may ■not be discreet, but he 18 ■and ho straighway, became the outispoken organ of Korea’s cause. a gainst -itlie Japanese. IJe told, just th

things that were least palatable “to the dominant nation ; the sort of literature that made entertaining anil informing reading for the closely-knit I'.reign communities of the Far East. Hu.lben quickly became a pro-Korean news centre, for ho is close to King and nation, and trusted by them. Indeed, ho ia . THEIR ONE WHITE ADVISER OF PROVED LOYALTY and upon his knowledge of the big world they depend. They sent him to America with a. plea that tlio American Government adhere to its special treaty with Korea, and not permit Japan to take in charge tho nation.

But the pica only found deaf cars at Washington. A still greater evidence of the natives’ confidence in him as the fact tlii.it- lie has bought, for a penny apiece, and will return upon demand, the titles of hundreds of Korean properties. 1 saw the big bundle; amt it hold wrapped up in : ts motley pages the story of an ancient nation’s fall. The reason these pro porties are put into Hulbert’s keeping- is that the Japanese have cultivated a pleasant habit of chucking the native out of his house, shop, or farm without so much as saying “by your leave.” They cannot be quito so summary with a foreigner, although they did Jay violent hands upon a prominent British resident of Seoul. Ho, being a missionary, pocketed the outrage “for the sake of tlie'work.”

Right here it may be remarked, parenthetically, that the greatest ally the Yankee ex-missionary has ill his duel on behalf of Korea with his compatriot who Hit's Japan s colors, is the rapid Christiaiiisntion Of Korea. A ' phenomenal "revival,” which is bringing thousands of natives into tho churches, synchronises with Japan’s efforts to extinguish the national life. Curiously, _ and perhaps, characteristically, the Christian Koreans manifest a stamina and a plucky steadfastness that have several times balked Japan’s purposes in Northern Korea. The missionaries, so far as 1 could learn, reluso to meddle in the political situation, even when they themselves as well as their converts are sufferers. Hulbert’s most effectivo weapon s publicity. It is publicity that Japan wants least in this ticklish Korean business. She strove sedulously, up to the time of the appearance of llic Korean delegation at The Hague, to keep the big world in total ignorreco of the acute crisis in Korea. Lli.vo was one neighbor, however, from whom she could not keep the story ot what was happening; -or

CHINA HAS NEVER AAITHDRAAVN HER EYES FROM KOREA.

A young Chinese in Seoul committed suicide, several months ago, in order ;o attract the attention of h.s conn-, try to the w-av Japan acts when in power, so that China may beware of the “friendly offices” of her progressive neighbor. That young man was honored- by a monster memorial meeting in and Ins family pensioned by the Chinese. The suicide business looks ridiculous to a Westerner; but it is tremendously effective with an Oriental. AVlien the late Prime Minister of Korea, Major-General Min lung AVhan, committed suicide, upon the announcement of the Japanese protectorate, the latter Power was visibly concerned. General Min s house is'now occupied by Mr-Stevens, “but his soul goes marching on. A tew days ago there crossed- on the cabled the news that another Korean noblei had publicly committed suicide, as a protest against Japan’s treatment of Korea. This sort of thing not only solidifies Korean national sentiment, but it -also reaches out to the deepest religious beliefs of tho man with the yellow skin. i j, The latest set-to. of the duel, wiiif h lias been of what the sp’orting <-uii tors e ill a ' “whirlwind” nature; opened with.a signal triumph lor Hulbert, quickly followed by. unotaor by Stevens. Korea got to the j'S of tho Hague with her pleas, ana lho world knows it. Hulbert had recauthorisation from the Empirer -pi) some such move in his possession ; it is amazing that the alert Stevens, backed by - { JAPAN’S ÜBIQUITOUS SECRET (

POLICE, should not have known of it. lon® ago, for Hulbert is not cautious..; The plot to get out or the count! yi certain Korean" leaders, io paitiCij pate in this mission to the .Hague,; succeeded, despite Japan s relu.d to ( . allow -Koreans to emigrate. Steyens ) was for the moment caught -napping,j and Hulbert has scored heavily . m, •drawing t-Ko attention; of ci/.uis-iti*)ijy to a condition which, he clams wou.d? not be permitted if known' amongj the na-ions. , j His adversary showed his power by; having the doors of the Hague slam-’ med in the noses of the Korean de-( legation; where the diplomatic mam/ pul-ation of the officialdom of nations is concerned Stevens is a master, am( Hulbers has hardly qualified as a pupil. Bit the latter knows the Rooseveltian art. of appealing directly to ; tho old-fashion eel sentiments of the common people, iand the man profi-1 cierit in this is usually an effective fighter. Certainly Hubert succeeded ] in administering a severe blow to . Japan’:; international prestige. <1 Stevens, or the Japanese, played; into Hulbert’s hands when, in anger over the appearance of the Korean, delegation at The Hague, they compelled the King to abdicate. This demand upon the King ostensibly ; came from the Korean Cabinet, butthe latter are only Japanese toois, as is evident from the cabled' report-! that the Japanese troops have to protect them from the Korea); populace. The tumultuous times which followed the- abdication also, served ’"Hulbert’s purpose, for they made Korea tho focus of the whole' world’s interest, and caused a general J feelin" of sympathy for the King and the patriots ,such as the “uncled clou'” usually receives. This prepares the HULBERT’iS APPEAL TO € UTILISATION.

After calling at. The Hague to further the work that the Korean native delegation had attempted, ho hastened to America, where lie now is, preparing to urge this country to stand by its old l treaty of ..special friendship for the Emperor chosen. He says he can prove that Americans commercial, as well as political, interests /ire suffering by reason ot the Jananese usurpation of power in the Vieninsula. From overseas lie may yet be able to deliver heavy thrusts at his adversary, while the latter, Stevens, is seen to be getting in effective work for Japan at the Seoul er.d of tlie cables. Whose the victory will be remains to be seen. Whatever the outcome, it has been a rare clue-1, and of the kind the twentieth century fancies.