Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 196, 24 August 1894 — The Corean Crisis. [ARTICLE]

The Corean Crisis.

— - ♦ 1 'By Lsds« E»Mi4Si#Tl»a tc» ——" XmS3 .] Iq aos«er to roor i«qaest to givfe my ne*8 opoo lbt Core»n $itutioB, I wooki s*ys tbat Jap:»>i bas on ioubtedhy iaraded C- rea !or the porpose of we&ken- ; ing Cbinese iiidcence in the | peair.sata und of increaemg her owo pelilieal an t coimnercial importarce there. N tw»tti'taxiding tbe treatves made witb Corea by the Western Powers, witb Cbina's fali kuo«iedge and eonsent. ahe still and s«cretly exercises snxen»iuty over Corea. Corea oeenpiee to the Orient uineh the s.tme relation that Turkey does to Eorope. Aware of of ber own weakness and believing :n tbe streugtb of China. sbe looks to that power for pbysical aml monl sopport. Jealousies between Cbiaa and jHj»an iu reg trd to Core*i bave exi>ted for canturies; the urmies of botb countries bilve often invaded und fongltt uj>on its territory, and it bus nt tiraes puid tribute to eaeh. When the Western Powers made treuties with Coreaand sent representatives tbere Japan bad reason to believe tbat tbe eomplete independence of Corea was assured. bbe had loug msisted tliatCbina mastyield bar elaima, j and bad establisbed a logatiou at i Heonl, with a representative hs to hii indepeiu)ent State. Cbina, on tne contrary. with ber cnstomaiy finesse, evaded tbe issue and sent a comruissioner, witbout > diplomatic powers. to reside in Curea, and in all ways eontinued to tre;»t Corea as a tribnt»ry State. Th ; s condition has continued until uow. Gre:it Britaiu bas : winked at it becau >e she is willing to gratify China and because it assures the actjve co-operation 1 of tl>at government against tbe ; possible encroacbments of Bussia. Tbe otber powers huve either , misundorstood or ignored tbe j . siturttion. i There is noquestion tbntCorea wonld be gladly independent if I she dared to avow Under tbis i st«te of al&iii Japan bi»s nuturalt lv felt She bas suf-f»-red indigmties from the adverse it;flnence of Cliiua. Twice withI in tweuty years ber legation h:>s - beon driven from Seoul, tbe 1 bnildings burnedand bercitizens slaughtered Tfae people of . Japan intensely patriotic. feel - tbat tbese wrongs shoold be re- - dressed, and tbo army and navy sh »re in tbese sentimeuts. TLe 5 governraent,,onder tbe guidance f of able men, is, without doubt, ? more tb«n willing tbat their s country should assert herself. 41 Mv own opinion is that it will t not be a figbt to the fiuisb. , China, as her wont, will resort to ? ; dipIomacy, calliug upon tbe 3 Westeru Powers to exercisa tbeir s good officers, aud will probably l force Corea to make coucessions, s whieh fir tbe moment will gratif fy Japun, and tbus continue to s keep ber clutcb upon tbe Sick Mau of tbe Orieut. —S. F. Ex.