THE JAPANESE IN KOREA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10574, 27 January 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE JAPANESE IN KOREA.

WONDERFUL RAILWAY MAKING.

An interesting article m the American edition of The World's Work describes the beginning of Japanese control m Korea, as shown by building a link m what will now become a continuous rail route to Europe. The writer is Mr H. B. Hulbert, editor of the Korea Review. The railway, he says, will eventually form the terminal section of the through route from the coast to Europe via Siberia. That part of the road between Fusan, at the south-eastern point of the peninsula, and Seoul, the capital, is now running. The section between beoul and the northern metropolis, Pyengyang. is almost ready to begin operations; and between Pyengyang and the Yalu river there are only short stretches here and there that have not been completed. Some of the bridgework and heavy masonry have still to be finished, but the completion of the entire line from Fusan to the Yalu is certain. "Unless unexpected events happen, Japan will control the Manchurian Railway for years, and undoubtedly the Korean line will be extended to connect with it.

Fusan being, therefore, the southerly terminus of the through route to Europe, it will doubtless become a point of call for the boats of the great trans-Pacific steamship lines. It lies only a few miles out of their present course, and, as soon as things have settled down, Fusan will inevitably become one of the great trade centres of the Far East, for an era of constructive work will mean the industrial rehabilitation of the Korean people, will soon begin. "To those who are personally interested m the Koreans and their national life, the impairment of their independence and the break up of a civilisation that, has had an uninterrupted history of almost 4000 years bring poignant regrets, but since the Koreans were not ready to provide new bottles for the new wine.of progress and enlightenment, some one else had to supply them."

The work of constructing the SeoulFusan line, 276 miles long, was begun m 1901, two years after American enterprise had compieted the Seoul-Chem-ulpo line. It was estimated that the Fusan line would cost about ±52,500,000. This was to be raised partly by the sale of shares, partly by loans, and partly by Government aid. The work was successfully begun by the Japanese, and was carried on with more or less energy till the opening of 1904, when the outbreak of the war made the rapid completion of the road a matter of prime importance to the Japanese military authorities. For this reason a grant of £1,000,000 was made, and the work was pushed with feverish energy. "I doubt," says Mr Hulbert, "whether railroad construction has ever been carried on more rapidly or with more indomitable pluck. At least three formidable mountain ranges had to be surmounted; many rivers had to be bridged with special reference to summer floods ; bitter popular opposition had to be overcome; and long detours had to be made to avoid the desecration of royal tombs. The people clamored for payment for their land. The Government was not able to find the money, and the Japanese, being engaged m a great war, had neither the ability nor the will to use gentle measures; so hostility was aroused among the common people along the line of the road. This was intensified by the unnecessary harshness with which the Japanese common workmen treated the Korean coolies. This is a story that will never be adequately told. We get only glimpses of it here and there when some unusuallj shocking piece of brutality is perpetrated and gets into the native papers. It was illustrated very clearly • one day m j 1.902 when a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States was travelling with two missionaries m the country. They crossed the railroad embankment and walked a few rods along the top. There was no prohibitory sign to show that this was forbidden, but some of the Japanese coolies came at them and attacked them with apparent intent to kill. Before the Americans succeeded m getting away two of them were severely handled. Tho railway company paid an indemnity for this : but if peaceful American citizens were subject to such treatment ordinary Koreans would fare rather badly. The fact is that, while Japan has made great advances m many directions, the lower orders of her people are still below the ordinary Korean iii genuine ciyilisa- 1 tion."

For the first few months after the line was opened only second and third class cars were put on. These were attached to slow freight trains. Now, however, regular express trains arc running over the route m 13 hours, or an average of something better than 20 miles an hour. In time this will be reduced to 10 hours.

The last third of the road presents the most formidable engineering difficulty of all — the great tunnel through the mountains 25 miles from Taiku, a large town into which Japanese have swarmed. The tunnel is 4000 feet long. A few miles further on is the Naktong river again, the boat traffic of which, though still active, is being rapidly destroyed by the railroad. The road runs along this and then out upon the Bay of Fusan, one of the finest harbors m the world. It is 10 miles long and four broad, and has ample room for all shipping that will ever wish to find anchorage there. The road runs around the bay to its southern end, where the town of Fusan lies m the hollow of the .hills. Fusan is now one of the busiest places m the Far East, and is still under going a wonderful transformation. ; The hills come almost straight down into the water, and the lack of room has made it, necessary to drag the hills down to give a foothold for commerce. .Many acres have been reclaimed from the sea. At the face of the wide bund, the depth of the water is 35 feet. The enterprise of the Japanese here has resulted m the erection of a handsome commercial museum m which it is proposed to exhibit all the industrial and commercial products of Korea as an object lesson. .