Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1926. THE LAST KOREAN EMPEROR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 15 June 1926, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1926. THE LAST KOREAN EMPEROR

THE (lentil of the ex-Emperor of Korea brings, to an end the dynasty of Tsitsian or Yi, which ruled tho Hermit Kingdom from 1392 to 1910, when the Japanese Government annexed the country. The disturbances, which occurred during the funeral ceremonies of this last of the Korean Emperors, are indicative of the dislike which the subjugated people have for their foreign masters. But as a matter of fact the history of Korea shows that it has seldom been free from some, sort of domination, either by China or Japan. The country’s geographical situation is such that it inevitably lias been a bone of contention between the two greater Mongolian nations to east and west of it. The Japanese had a saying that a hostile nation holding Korea ‘holds a dagger at Japan’s throaP.” It was this very view of tlie matter which caused the Japanese to make war in China in 1895, a war which left Korea in the hands of Jppen, though the European Powers (without Britain’s acquiescence) robbed Japan of the fruits of her victory. Ten years later, when Korea was dominated almost .completely by Russia, Japan went to war a second time, and though she drove the Russians completely out of the peninsula and out of Manchuria as well, she was only able to establish a protectorate over Korea. In 1910, howshe formally annexed that country.

It may he asked why 1 the Koreans so easily allowed themselves to be dominated by foreigners. To begin with the papulation is small when compared with the neighbouring great nations —Japan, China, and Russia. Korea, which is slightly bigger than the island of Great Britain, contains perhaps a population of seventeen million people. Only onetenth of its soil is cultivated. Though reported to Jie rich in minerals, it was tlie policy of the Korean rulers to discourage and actually to forbid the development of the country’s natural resources. Their idea was to keep out all foreigners, and to maintain their ;indcpendonce by preserving their country’s isolation. Tims their people remained ignorant, their trade was never anything but negligible, the population leinained comparatively small, and national progress became impossible. In such circumstances Korea fell. an easy prey to the strongest of its neighbours—at one to China, at another to Japan, and now finally to the latter country. A foreigner, Mr Nevin O. Winter, thus describes the situation of the country to-day : —“The Koifeans ar.e very dissatisfied, because independence is gone and they are compelled to obey alien officials. Japanese soldiers are prominent in tlie railway 'stations. Tlie present Governor is a diplomatic official who means well, but his predecessors were stern military men wild did not consider Koreon susceptibilities. As a result many unfortunate incidents have happened. Even to-day the mailed fist can be felt beneath the softly gloved hand of the officials. The Japanese are determined to retain sovereignty; the Koreans are just as intent upon securing freedom at some time in the future.” That the Japanese will retain possession of tlie country goes without saying. And perhaps the Koreans are better off under tlie Japanese than they would be under the rule of ' distracted and ill-governed China, and under Bolshevist rulers bf Russia. The Japanese hold the country because it is tlie key to the Island Empire. They will certainly develop its resources and make it prosperous. They will also defend it. from invasion. Possibly when the country has been properly opened up and its vast uninhabited tracts are accessible, the Japanese may find in Korea an outlet for their surplus population. If so that country will become a serviceable safety-valve which may beneficially and materially affect the problem of the Pacific, which lunges on the disposal of Japan’s surplus millions.