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2
15th. (24th of 4th Moon, leap month). Friday.
3
What a beautiful season for such a misery stricken land! In addition to the ills universal in Korea, such as the Japanese, the Il-Chins, the corrupt Palace, the imbecile and rotten government, the people of Chung-Chong Nam-Do and of Cholla-Do have of late been cruelly afflicted by Ui-byung or anti-Japanese insurgents. Under the pretext of suppressing the disturbances the Japanese soldiers occupy important centers, like Hong-Joo 洪州, from which the Japanese plague is to radiate in all directions.
4
The Japaneses are keeping up, through their advisors and connivance, the unspeakable corruption in the Palace; through unprincipled ministers, the imbecility and rottenness in the government; through the Il-Chin and the Tong-Haks, the disturbance and wretchedness in the country. I have no doubt that the Japanese are secretly and viperously preparing a grand attack, through the Tong-Haks, upon the missionaries and Christianity.
5
Kim Yung Chan told me this morning that, his house being next to the Japanese gendarmery near the South Gate, his heart bled to hear the cries of agony from the Uibyung leaders whom the Japanese had captured in Hong-Joo and whom they daily tortured to extort confessions, so called.
6
The Crown Prince is to marry agin next month―they say. Tens, or rather, hundreds of thousands of dollars are being wasted on the preparation for the admirable ceremonies. A retired Palace-maid or Sang-Koong, told me the other day that the Prince wished that his Father should marry instead of himself. "What's the use of my marrying? Six years more and I shall not be here." If the report be true, what can the Prince mean?
7
By the way, Kil-Yong-i, my brother only 12 years old was married on the 12th May. It rained cats and dogs the whole day. I was so opposed to the child-marriage that I didn't care whether it rained or shined.
8
Christ says: Let the dead bury the dead. I never understood the meaning of this paradox until I am sick of the fact that we Koreans "let the dead bury the living."
9
"If any would not work, neither should he eat." This is a Biblical doctrine of eternal truth. But by education, custom and tradition, we have been taught, if not in so many words, at least in practice, the exact reverse of the Pauline principle, viz. "If any would work, neither should he eat."
10
To my regret, I had to resign the office of Student Supervisor for domestic reasons.
11
In this city of 250.000 or more souls, there is only one bathhouse, the "Haichuntang." The bathroom, itself badly kept, is so closely surrounded by filthy gutters and W.C.s. that one feels worse after a bath than before.
12
Hearing that Mr. Padock would soon leave Korea, I called on him a week ago. He said that the Americans at home knew nothing of the Japanese except as they are represented by the subsidized papers; that the American sympathy for this country, interests would have been more fully developed in Korea, thus insuring the American sympathy for this country, but for the anti-American intrigues of Yi Yong Ik; that it was a pity that even the English had not pulled together with the Americans. Well, I like the Americans. I loved Dr. Allen. But that doesn't blind me to the fact that it was, and is, all nonsense that the investment of the American capital in Korea will secure for us the support of America. Look at the American gold mine concession; the Seoul-Chemulpo Railroad concession; the Seoul Electric Railroad concession; the waterworks concession; the number and influence of the American missionaries throughout the peninsula. For a country of its size, Korea, certainly has given more concession to the Americans than to any other single European Power. But which of the countries first recognized the protectorate treaty? Which of the Governments represented in Korea withdrew her minister first? The American! Next to America, England had more concessions in Korea than others. Did England raise a finger to keep Korea from falling into the clutch of Japan? Yet everytime the American or the English Legation pressed for a concession, sugar-coated their bait with the plausible but now unmasked lie that the more American or English capital is invested in Korea, the more sympathetic and helpful America or England would be in turn with Korea's misfortunes.
13
It is more sinful to be deceived than to deceive: to deceive is human; but to be deceived is beastly.
16
Called on Min Sang Ho yesterday afternoon. Had a nice time. Asked him why he had resigned the lucrative office of the 帝室制度檢査局總裁. He said "Don't wish for any office while the Japanese are here, there and everywhere. In every office, bureau, and department, they are the masters, while the Korean, be he a Minister or Director or what not, is but the seal keeper. Yes, I liked the office just given up. The pay is good and all that. But you know in carrying out the program of reform as prepared by Mr. Kato, the Japanese advisor, I should certainly incur the displeasure of His Majesty who looks upon the Household Department as his personal property. To touch that, even for its reformation, would, in the Emperor's eye, be a more heinous crime than any the so called Five Traitors have ever committed. That explains why the office has remained vacant for six months. Nobody dares to risk the Imperial Ire and its consequences. I don't think Sim Sang Hoon will accept the office." Mr. Min admitted that the proposed reforms are all necessary. Here, then, is the secret of all the miseries past, present and future of Korea; viz. that reform is necessary in every department, that the Emperor prefers even slavery to reform, and that his officials dare not displease him.
17
Carlyle, in writing about the sickness of Louis ⅩⅤ says, "Yes, will he die? That is now, for all France, the grand question and hope ×××." Substitute "all Korea" for "all France."
18
This city of smells enjoys the unique distinction of having four standard times. First there is the Catholic time which should, and ought to, be accepted as the local standard. But our protectors are too proud to adopt the local time of their slaves. So they keep the Tokio time, which is 30 minutes earlier than the Seoul time. The Korean government notifies the people of Seoul, by means of the "bell," the hour of noon sometimes a few minutes sooner or later than the Catholic time. (This discrepancy is caused by the fact that the 'bell' keeper takes his time from the clock in the tower of the Seoul Electric Company's building) . In the Palace the clocks keep such time as His Majesty desires. Thus the hour of noon (12 a.m.) is almost always made to strike about 4 p.m. or sometimes in the midnight. This is a wonderful little wretched country.
19
A week ago, Mr. Ecker, the bandmaster of the Korean military Band, in issuing invitation to a musical entertainment to be given in the Pagoda Park, fixed the hour by the "Tokio-time." Now, he has been living on the Korean salary for the last ten years. The band is Korean. The Park is Korean. A large number of the guests were Koreans. Why did he use the Tokio-time? When a European is servile, he beats an oriental to pieces in the job.
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