|
5
2nd. Tuesday. Rain―Chilly.
6
Seoul home. Being my 68th birthday, wife and dear children did everything to make me happy. Rain cleared about 4 p.m.
8
3rd. Wednesday. Bright―Cold.
9
Seoul home. Entertained Mr. and Mrs. 鄭一史; Miss Pak In Duk and Mrs. Yi of the Soo Song Kindergarten to a Korean supper 6~8 p.m. Very pleasant evening. Miss P.I.D. by her vivacity and interesting conversation made herself liked by everybody. Wife seemed more pleased with her than with Helen Kim. The kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Yi is decidedly a beautiful woman.
11
4th. Thursday. Bright―Very cold―rather chilly.
12
Left Seoul 9:05 a.m. train for Song Do. Attended some bank matter and returned to Seoul 4:08 p.m. train.
14
5th. Friday. Bright. Bracing cold.
17
6th. Saturday. Dull―Chilly.
18
Seoul home. This is the 1st day of the 1st moon of the Cyclic year 壬申, according the Lunar Calendar. The Korean population of Seoul, to say nothing of the people of rural district observe this as their New Year's Day. All lectures and resolutions are powerless to disuade the people from having the double new-year celebration. The old custom has the momentum of tens of centuries plus the national or racial consciousness―so far as the Koreans are concerned. They look upon the Solar Calendar New Year as the Japanese new year. Nine out every ten offices everywhere being occupied by the Japanese, the Koreans have no official reason for celebrating the official or Japanese Calendar. The intentional or unintentional policy and practice of discrimination on the part of the Japanese against the Korean in every line of profit and of preferment is constantly widening the gulf that separates the two races.
21
Seoul home. 3 to 5 p.m. Genl. Kodama invited about 200 Koreans representing the intelligentsia in various walks of life to a tea party to hear the Manchurian story from Lieut. Yun Sang Pil. There was hardly anything new except that he spoke gratefully of the Chinese farmers who saved Koreans from bandits etc. by dressing them in Chinese clothes.
23
8th. Monday. Pale sun but mild.
24
Seoul home. Mr. 朴錫胤 called on me this morning. He said that he is deeply interested in the welfare of the 420,000 Koreans in Kando; that to save them from the oppression and extortions of the Chinese officials he has succeeded in securing the permition of the Chinese and Japanese authorities to organize a self-protective association among the Koreans that all the leaders Communists, Christians, Chun-Do-Kyoins, Independents, pro-Japanese have agreed to join their efforts in the perfection of the organization whose sole object is to enable the Koreans to enjoy some measure of security of life and property that he has obtained the promise of help from the high officials in the military and political circles in Tokyo; that the Governor-General of Korea is heartily backing him in his projects. That he is bring about 20 or more Korean leaders from Kando in April for the purpose of making known to the home people the condition of the Koreans and their prospects in that country and that he wants me and others to assist him to the new organization with our sympathy and substance.
26
9th. Tuesday. Cloud―Chilly. Snowed a little
27
Seoul home. Miss Helen Kim invited Messrs. 宋鎭禹, 金性洙 and me to a sukiyaki supper at the Yedogawa Restaurant―from 6 to 10 p.m. Had a pleasant evening.
29
10th. Wednesday. Pale―Chilly to the bone.
30
Seoul home. A propose of the new organization among and by the Korean leaders in Kando about which Mr. 朴錫胤 is so enthusiastic I feel this way. He says the sole object of the said organizations―which by the way and is to be named 民生團 is to make(Kanto) safe for the Korean settlers. If Japan succeeds in her Manchurian policy she will make Kanto safe for everybody by delivering it from the corrupt Chinese officials, the beastly Korean Bolshevics, the so called Korean independents and the Chinese bandits, without the help of the Min Saing Dan. But if Japan is ousted from Manchuria any number of Min Saing Dans will avail nothing.
32
11th. Thursday. Pale sun. Lovely p.m.
33
Seoul home. It's an open secret that Japan―the militarists at least―is as fully determined as she is prepared to fight America at the slightest provocation in interfering with her Manchurian campaign. Hope America has sense enough to see that the Manchruian problem is to be settled by facts and not by theories. What are facts then? They are these―Japan must have Manchuria. She has staked her all on the Manchurian issue. Yu must either crash her or let her alone. In so far as international justice is concerned, America which swallowed a camel in the case of Korea needn't strain at gnat in the matter of Manchuria.
35
12th. Friday. Cloud-Chilly
36
Left Seoul 9:05 for Song Do. Bought for children 120 shares of the Song Do Electric Co's stock. Returned to Seoul per 4:08 p.m. train. Snow from 2 p.m. The flakes thawing before they hit the ground.
37
The other night Mr. Kim Sung Soo surprized me by saying that when he was in London, he went to hear Miss P.I.D. lecture; that she made him and another Korean blush with same burn with indignation by telling the audience that the Korean men kept concubines and that a Korean family of ten could live on 15 dollars a year. Of course she was within the bounds of truth in giving those informations. But she didn't need to do so. Missionaries are often accused of telling their natives of the mission fields as night excite the feelings of pity or of contempt. Why should P.I.D. or any "native" do the same?
39
13th. Saturday. Pale a.m. Sun p.m. Mild.
42
14th. Sunday. Lovely―A regular Spring day.
43
Seoul home. Worshipped at the 宗矯 Church. With 璋, 琦, 寶 took a tram-car-ride to the river. For the first time went over the hill on the South side of the river along the newly made road, to the new Japanese village now in making. Found as usual a half dozen wretched Korean huts at the end of the new road. I won't be surprized if these huts are already in the hands of some Japanese money lender to be wiped out in a short time. In a few years this valley will have a very attractive Japanese town where not a Korean will have an inch of land. Whose faults will that be?
45
15th. Monday. Bright. Icy cold wind.
48
16th. Tuesday. Bright―Bitter cold!
49
Seoul home. Snow last night about 1/3 inch on the ground. Sudden and bitter cold spell.
51
17th. Wednesday. Bright. Bitter cold.
52
Seoul home. 14˚ below zero. One of the coldest days of this winter.
54
18th. Thursday. Bright―Icy cold.
57
19th. Friday. Cloud and sun. Icy cold.
60
20th. Saturday. Cloud―Chilly.
61
Seoul home. From 6 to 11 p.m. the monthly Saturday Club supper as 明月館. Several civilian Japanese members and three military officers, six Koreans: Messrs. 崔麟, 朴榮喆, 韓相龍, 閔大植, 金應善 and myself. After supper Mr. Ikeda(池田) the Director of the Department of police who had just returned from a trip to Mukden gave a talk on Manchuria. The new State to be established there, is to be a republic composed of the three or four Provinces, and independent state under the protection of Japan. The new State is to be unarmed its defense to be entrusted to Japan. They spoke of Manchuria as if it were already a part of Japan.
63
21st. Sunday. Bright but icy cold
64
Seoul home. Snow nearly an inch thick on the ground when I opened the door 5 a.m. The biggest snow Seoul has had this winter.
65
Went to the Chang Kyong Park to see our boys skate. Wife and 文姬 went to the University Hospital to see our sister-in-law. When we returned home our baby, 珽善 complained of chill―his hands ice cold. After a nap he awoke then threw up what he had eaten as breakfast. Seems the severe cold he felt interfered with his digestion.
67
22nd. Monday. Cloud and sun. Icy cold.
68
Seoul home. As a Korean patriot I like to see Japan succeed in her Manchurian policy, for; (1) Japanese occupation of Manchuria will insure to the million Korean settler the security of life and property throughout that vast territory. (2) Having secured that great treasure house the Japanese nation may feel so relieved of her economic fears that she may be inclined to be somewhat more generous in the treatment of the Koreans in Korea politically and economically. (3) A Japan controlled Manchuria will have room for a large number of educated Koreans for employment. (4) When the Korean population in Manchria reaches the figures of several millions, some great men may rise among them who will find the stage great enough for some heroic enterprises. For I firmly believe no great man can rise in Korea―the religion, philosophy, politics, social organization, and historic background of the past centuries have all conspired so to dwarf the spirit of the Korean race that only by getting outside of the narrow bounds of these surroundings can a great soul find room to breathe and act.
70
23nd. Tuesday. Sun most of the day.
71
Seoul home. A mild day.
73
24th. Wednesday. Cloud―Chilly
74
Seoul home. Again icy cold.
75
Japan seems to have underestimated the Chinese power of resistance when she began her attacks on Shanghai.
77
25th. Thursday. Cloud―Chilly.
78
Seoul home. Snow again last night―as seen on the ground. Snow all day today, but the flakes melt as soon as they hit the ground. Pale sun now and then in the afternoon quite cold.
80
26th. Friday. Cloud―Very cold.
81
Seoul home. A layer of snow on the ground this morning showed that it had snowed last night. What's the matter with the weather? The real winter is beginning now(?) .
83
27th. Saturday. Cloud and sun. Cold―Icy.
86
28th. Sunday. Cloud and sun. Icy cold.
87
Seoul home. 璋善 sick―chill and fever. Throat ache. Worshipped at the 宗矯 Church.
89
29th. Monday. Bright―Icy wind.
|
