KOREA AND JAPAN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 13905, 5 November 1919, Page 6

KOREA AND JAPAN.

STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE. (Bv Rev. Frank H. L. Paton.) -The' relations between Korea and Jathe; attention of all at. : both peoples are 'gravely' concerned/ at the unhappy trend events are taking. There are two sides to every question, and it-is our duty to try -to Understand the'viewpoint of*each. nationSthatvwemay r. have the sympathy < and ; insight to be of service if "the' Opportunity of- . fers. ' Korea claims an unbroken history of 4,200 years, - and during, the "Vijhole-'of .these fo sty-two centuries she hhs/been ?an independent State. True, she was at times overrun by hostile armies, but these were merely brief interruptions of her otherwise continuous autonomy. At the same time Korea recognised the Emperor of China as a sort of fatherlv suzerain, although the onlv symbol of this was an annual present. "Her learning and her literature were of equal antiquity, and it was to Korea that Japan owed much of her culture and civilisation. But while the Koreans were an autonomous race, they were sadlv misgoverned, so that pillage and poverty reigned supreme throughout &e land. The inevitable result was that Korea became incapable of defending herself against the designs of her stronger neighbors, and it simply became a question of which neighbor should take control. Japan also claimed a- long, unbroken history, and she demonstrated her marvellous power of self-development by the unexampled progress which she made during the last fifty vears. She was not only open minded and adaptive, but she had a very definite policy which she patiently. and persistently set herself to achieveThat policy was shaped by various needs and impulses. Among these were the. ceaseless pressure of her already crowded and rapidly-growing population, which demanded an outlet either into Asia or into lands across the Pacific; the desire to secure herself against possible attack from the mainland through Korea a danger made very real through the inability of Korea to maintain her independence as a strong buffer State and the instinct of leadership thatburned in the soul of Japan, and led her to strive for the mastery of the East that she might unify and organise its vast resources in men and material. Moved by these and other considerations. Japan camo to regard the possesion of Korea as an essential part of her national policy. Two supreme obstacles stood in blic way of this: China and Russia, each of which sought a controlling influence in Korea. One cannot but admire the determination and consummate ability with which Japan prepared to remove these obstacles. First came the war with China in 1894-1895, in which Japan was victorious, and gave her Formosa as her first colonv. Liaotung Peninsula was also ceded to Japan, but Russia, Germany, and France intervened, and compelled her to hand it back to China. The removal of this huge obstacle brought Japan face to face with the almost equally big but far more dangerous rival —Russia. She hastened slowly, nnd laid her plans with farseeing' wisdom. In 1902 she entered into an alliance with Great Britain, and then two vears later she electrified the world bv declaring war upon Russia. Japan* struck hard, and by 1910 she had shattered the mighty power of Russia, and driven her armies from Korea, and Manchuria. In the Treaty of Portsmouth that year Japan compelled Russia to recognise that "Japan possesses paramount political, military, and economical interests in Korea," and to "engage neither to obstruct nor interfere with the measures of guidance, protection, or control which the Imperial Government of .Japan may find it necessary to take in Korea. Up to this poiiit the independence of Korea, had been expressly recognised in all the international treaties in which she was included. In the treaty which Japan concluded with Korea, in 1576 the sovereignty of Korea was distinctly affirmed. The same is true of ilie treaty which America secured from Korea 'in. ISS2. and of the treaties which followed with Great Britain and other Powers. In the Treaty of Shimonoseki, in Ibilo, Japan compelled China to recognise "the full and complete autonomy and independence of Korea." Again, m the first Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902 Korea's independence was affirmed, and in the alliance which Japan concluded with Korea in 1904, her independence was definitely guaranteed/ The defeat of Russia in 1905 marked a new era in tho history of Japan, and she now ignored her founer declarations and prepared for the definite and permanent occupation ot Korea. '1 he steps towards this followed each other in rapid succession. First came the Treaty of Portsmouth, already referred to, in which Japan claimed paramount political, military, and economical interests "in Korea, and the right to •'iiide. protect, and control its people. Three weeks later the alliance with Great Britain was renewed, but the clause recognising the independence of Korea was dropped out. Twenty days later th-i Japanese obtained the signature of the ex-Emperor of Korea to a treaty placing his country under the protectorate of Japan—a treaty which has never been recognised as valid by the Korean people. The final step was taken five years later, in 1910, when Japan formally annexed Korea, and entered into complete and effective occupation. The policy of Japan was to bind Korea to herself so closely that the union could never be broken. Under the influence of the military' party she sought to do this by mechanical means, by force rather than by love. Til some things Japan has succeeded admirably. She has greatly improved the material conditions of the people. She has covered the land with a network of finely-graded roads in place of the aid rugged footpaths, clothed the bare lulls with trees, built swift and comfortable railways, set up modern schools and hospitals." and transformed the face of Korea' generally. But tho Koreans complain that she has done all this at the cost of heavy taxation, and that the Japanese benefit more than the Koreans. It would seem, however, that in material things tho Korean has gained considerably by Japanese rule.

]?ut man cannot live by bread alone, I and the soul of the Korean people lias boon starved. Japan- has sought to rule the people by the sword, and the country has been kept under military administration. The military ideal has been to stamp out all national aspirations and japanise the people. Among the methods employed have been the destruction of the 'history and literature of the people, the abolition of the. public press, the denial of the right of free speech, tho use of Japanese as tlio official language, and the propagation of tho Japanese national cult of Sliintoism. Apparently the Korean people had accepted the inevitable, and had settled down to make tho best of it. But when the Peace Conference bewail to discuss the rights of the smaller nations, and to take steps to right their wrongs, the Koreans felt the deep stirrings of a new hope, and all their powers of mind and soul were roused to new activity. They planned secretly and well, and not even the missionaries had tho slightest inkling that great movements were afoot. Suddenly, on tho first, of March this year, ~a manifesto wax issued asking tin- Japanese Government to restore her independence to Korae. This document was signed by 33 Koreans — 15 Christians, 15 native cult, and three Huddhists. The manifesto appealed to the people to refrain from violence of any kind, and to rely solely upon the justice of their cause and tho moral sympathy of the freedom-loving nations. There were many leaders among tho 'Japanese who had keen sympathy with tlie Koreans, and utterly disapproved of the methods employed by tho military administration. But the military party were still in the ascendant, and their answer to tho manifesto was to arrest the 33 men who had signed it. The movement spread throughout Korea, and seemed to bo in no way disorganised by the arrest of a. growing number of leaders. Soon many thousands of Koreans wcro in prison, and then tho Japanese soldiers and police, becoming exasporated at the continuedi growth of the movement, took to firing upon unarmed Koreans who congregated to inarch through the streets shouting the cry for independence. Oil rave occasions tho Koreans were goaded into reprisals, but, on the whole, they persisted in their policy of purely passive resistance. Even school girls,

when arrested, marched to prison singing with iov.' and calmly faced the cruel ordeal' to which many ot them were subjected. Many Koreans were killed, and thousands more were wounded, but still the movement, though checked for a time, has not been qjtfaiM.'&lhe.-{bfjiUelements ijii.j ar^rndignant J , at , 'tHeso'cruel-methods of reprisals, and they are striving to bring Korea under the civil, instead ot the•inilitarv. administration. They, as wel as-the'Koreans, are seeking the nioftil support of the Western nations in their constitutional fight against tho domination of militarism '.'''" What tho issue of,the present, movement will be no one can forsee. Probably the progressive and enlightened elements in Japan, strengtnened by the moral sympathy of all right-thinking people, will rally round the growing democratic party, and deliver Japan trom reactionary forces, and set up a sympathetic "civil government m Korea. This would relieve the Koreans of mtmy, grievous burdens, and provide them with a growing share in the administration of their own country- Such an issue would gain for Japan the deepened respect of the civilised world and the undying gratitude of the Korean people. 'ln this way only can there come any real and- living union between the two peoples. Japan will achieve by love what she can never gain by force. _^___^___