KOREA'S POSITION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 13

KOREA'S POSITION.

A CRY FOR "JUSTICE. A very vivid interview 'witrTTHnca Vi of Korea is given ." In the" v Au"gusfc Review of ' Reviews. "In'trris^tlie f-rifico calls to SigV- Hea'vori' for "justicS r "'fo? his country against Japan. ' BdNyas-one of the three delegates sent by tho &apcror of Korea to tho Hague "Conference, and has, since the advent of tho Japanese during his absence, been- sentenced to be hanged. " ' - ! ' ' •■ "PrincoYi at the Hague," '' sdya interviewer, "was the- incsftiajts' 'sneer of the Accomplished 'Fact frfpreVenco 'of the' generous 'Elusions ""of " Aangin'na Faith. He was th'e" mocking T*oln't*-of Interrogation- which t Destiny, affixes to Treaties. • Above- all, he was ith* "Spirit of legation, a scoffing" Mephistophelcs lingai m^ en U'e threshold of tho Ptrjjamtint q£' Peace, , -'/ . > ',;Uh?-t arc, y.o'u. doing here^Vj.^s^cd him. _ "Why- do you trouble the $ersijty oi' this assembly liy your sinister, . preai'ncoV' , „ „, „ „„,,,(,; „v ,„ ,-" '1 ??,™ e ;j' ke, I ',W''^4> 'f S9" 1 a; <ft s ift nt country to .sro it-toy aiiy, chanic'o I can fitd „tJie.,,pod, pZ Right, J,^istioo,, ( -i{rnd j.l'e.'.ce; w^gpe., akar is .said, ,t,0,b8, af, \he iiague.' , • - i i , '. i " , '• "M^ dq Martens . founded, that, altar,' I said, 'at tho House in the ,W<ood in iSi,».' % •- '. .' ..;*■ ; AX 17XKK0WN GOD.- •' •:\ " 'lBS3!'.said tins X^unc'e^-' 'Since'- '{Hen tji*. ,»'°d f ' i rr 1 igL(J:.hai} in ljcc9nip, ) j(j^. I 'uiiknov.a Hod.- "IiUD wha<; are 'thesb , Dfcle^stcs d.»ing' hi '&(& Hall? I ' ' \ . !?,l. " 'ifhey uxfi ,making v -!.Trcat)ca-!itc»,.,'as-suro Peace and, justice ; .throughput ,the wholo world.' ..,".[', 'i "•Treaties." replied, tjio T&inca,^>td a sarcaslio §m;lo 'What nv§ i will tell you, for l"j;now. • Why- is Koi'c.v tyodden under ioot by'-Japbn? Because- treaties are jfladp only , tt> , tin vioiatod.' ' - ;"But, let us spe, by the Treaty.. o? 17th Novpmbef, 18Q5. . „ ..' ■"■Tell me,' int<:rrupte4 Priace "Yi. 'can these J)clogaU'& make Treaties^ ;• "Only ■ when . they ,hayo been rised by 'heir' iSovereigns,- 'Nvlfp «nust» afterwards ratify. the v Hcnnsi' r " •■> •■•• " 'Then,' ' ceplied the ' . J'rince>. . li-tho, sc-caliod Tieatj of Kovembe'r, 190b, was no Treaty.' • 'it vrus only 'aa"'igrcbmsjut made .with the Ivorcan Mini6tor of Afl'aira, who had no instructions SErom our Emperor, and this ■ • signed docuntont has never been ratified.- ■" It it is null and. without effect. - So Sfar as Korea is concerned, v»o consider »t. null and void.' "And yet ' it- is becaiisb of this iiiegal and valueless • document i i-li.it Korea 's oppressed 'by 'Japan', > her liTnpi'i-or deposed, end her lights 'Violated.' " 'lixit what 1 30 yoh"warit fo do then.?' • 'We want to spp^'dl 1 r l *"fh'c- klUf of the (Jod of Bight and JustfcoY iiid;^o ask whether the Treaty is valid' tii'international law. „Whe'ro' T is' your"High Comt of Arbitration? r 'Wh^re;c,in f ,wo make our complaint heard and get this outrage condemned V t - ,'^ " 'Uut if; this Treaty' ~wero' to' be -annulled, what difference would '£t make? Korea, even if it could have f i|?s , own diplomatic representative^ abroad, would always be ih the liands of*^JaparU.'V» . "'AJasJ' replied, the^Pauica/ 'j>oa-«Io not seem to believe in the , value „ at Treaties, even' when they aro. .legally ratifiod.by a Power as strong as- Japam Do you not know that by the< Treaty of 1204 . Japan .ha<> inhr^aUcd ' tU«.iiidopendenco and tho integrity of my country, and that Japan undertook tofft'ateh over the safety of our Emparoi-?' „ ■ , "'Yes, but- ' "'But,' continued Prince" ¥i," with vehemence, 'they ensure the Safety* 1 of thij independent Sovereign by" making him a prisoner- in his ovml house,:'and deposing him by forcfe. "Our indeftdndonce is respected by reducing- -Us •to slavery, and tho, integrity-^of ilvorean- is only preserved because Japan hax.,swaU lowed tho jvholo country ■at gulp instead of making many^Tjites.' "-- !'* But what' can toe dti? 1 . "";■"'» '"Is thera no justice- in , the x*6rlJT* cried Prince Yi. ■ , ' THE GOD OF '-RIGHTS ••'*- " 'You forget that Japan' is In. 1 po^sisession of the country, and- • Jarta& is poworfnl. 1 ' ,• l '"■•": '' iIT " 'Then.f said' thi' P^incA" Voifr "God ' of Right is a "plianeom. "yoW fdStiocfc foT justice is potfiing "bub affoctatron, your , Christianity js. mere" Hypocrisy.' Why must Korea! 'fre ria^rince'd 1 ? 1 " TBeciuse Jt is weak. Why can- Japan trample on all ; her "treaty- oWigationsT Bocauso it 'is 'strong ThWwKy speak of justice and right and.laws? „ Why not admit frankly add ajTonco th&t'tho • cannon is your only hjw , and 'thai Hhe strong can do.no .wrong? .., onr.-,fate,l he bitterly, 'is that *jKicK a-«-=iits every countrj' .which has.confidonco in the God of Right, , Justice, -and .'Peace, instead of having confidence!, in its , own sword,' , " i. ' •* / » *'I Jeit-tho Prince. stUl' sitting at* the door of the Ridderzaal,,,, waitjjigT for justice; and, ,o'n,Jeaving, 4 -fancied I , heard,. the .echo'of ,tho Saga.- of» r Xing Olaf:— . , _ - , „_, J s Force rules the world; has ruled it, will rule it. • ' - "> Meekness is weakness i foree 1 is' tfttumphant.