2
1st. Tuesday. Bright. Mild.
3
Seoul home. Another year begins today.
4
Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow!
5
Praise Him all creatures here below!
6
Praise Him above ye heavenly host,
7
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
8
10 to 11 this morning made the usual New Year card-leaving calls.
9
The weather remarkably mild. Yesterday's rain and snow have turned the streets into semi-paddy fields.
10
Brother Chi Chang asked me what I would think of Grace's marrying Sohn Won Il. I told him that the Young man is all right except that he, being penniless, would have to be another burden on me.
12
2nd. Wednesday. Beautiful.
13
Seoul home. A spring like day.
14
Lunch at the Lily Garden. Called on but missed Helen Kim. On the tram car home, met Mr. Miwa. He told me that Mr. Ahn Chang Ho is in good health and that he may be soon released. Miwa further informed me that Mr. Choi Rin had had an interview with Mr. Ahn. Considering the fact that Choi could gave no previous acquaintance with Ahn it is significant that he(Choi) should gave sought an interview with him. No doubt Choi is planning to secure Ahn as a member of Si Joong Hoi.
15
Our 璋善, 琦善, 寶姬 returned from Song Do. They told me when I left Song Do the other day, that they would return to Seoul on the 4th January. If they didn't come back today I couldn't gave blamed them. But I wanted to see the dear fellows so much and wife was so anxious that they might get into mischief of some kind that we phoned them to come back at once. So glad they obeyed us without any talking back. God bless them!
17
3rd. Thursday. Cloudy―Mild.
18
Seoul home. Lunch at the Lily at the Lily Garden Restaurant.
20
4th. Friday. Bright―Mild.
22
Lunch at the Lily Garden with Koo Ja Ok and Dr. Yi Kap Soo who has returned from Kyoto recently. Glad to hear from him that brother Chi Wang's family are well.
23
Kim Uing Chip called about 4 p.m. and advised me not to resign my chairmanship of Central Y. Board of Directors.
24
Hitler is the latest European edition of the great Chinese emperor. Jin-Shi-Whang, who burnt the ancient classics, slaughtered scholars and built the great wall of China. Jin-Shi-Whang unified China but his dynasty vanished soon after his death. Will Hitler succeed in his semi-crasy policies even as much as the Chinese emperor?
26
5th. Saturday. Bright and cold.
27
Seoul home. Miss Wagner came to see me this afternoon. She said that it would be a travesty my life to write what is purported to be my biography with all ginger and pepper left out. But to write my biography in plain English giving copious extracts from my diary would expose me to the wrath of the powers that be not only but also of many Koreans who are still living. So she has decided to postpone the writing to some future date. I fully agreed with her.
28
6 p.m. went to the New Year banquet given by the Governor Genl. at his official residence.
30
6th. Sunday. Gloomy. Chilly.
31
Seoul home. A few days ago Choi Chang Hak the mining "Narikin" invited Messrs. Song Jin Woo, Yi Sang Hyup against their protest and Jo Pyong Sang to go to Paik Chun Hot Springs in a new auto which he had recently bought for ￥15,00000. The chauffeur managed to make the expensive machine turn a treble somersault down a steep bank about 120 feet high, at the foot of which flows the great Im-jin River. But for piles of split wood right on the bank of the river the auto would certainly have plunged into the deep water with its human load leaving nobody to tell the details of the accident. As it was, the split wood saved these four men and the chauffeur from a watery death. They all returned to Seoul with more or less injuries Song being the most injured. I called on him in Jung Choong Ku's hospital, and Mr. Yi at his home to congratulate them on their miraculous escape.
32
Visited Mr. and Mrs. Choi Sung Man at their home. By the way Choi returned me ￥10000 which I had presented to him to help pay the school expenses of his children some years ago.
34
7th. Monday. Gloomy―Chilly.
35
Seoul home. The other night at the Governor General's banquet, I with six other guests were seated at the table presided by the Vice Governor General. Of the seven guests only three talked with the host while one said a few words. The other three kept absolute silence during the entire course. Silence is the genius of the East.
37
8th. Tuesday. Gloomy a.m. A layer of snow on the ground in the morning.
38
Seoul home. Today our children's schools began their third term.
39
One of the silliest, though well meant and one of the most imprudent things that Hyon Dong Wan has ever done or will ever do, is the so called celebration of my 70th birthday. Of course I didn't know anything about the plan until it was far advanced. I told Hyon and others that nobody would care to read my biography any more than people care to read Mr. Yi Sang Jai's life. Hyon's calculations of the expenses for the celebration, including the banquet and the publication of the biography, provide so unbusiness like that he came out nearly 800 yen shout: Kim Yung Hui who promised to do the compiling gratis demanded ￥30000 for traveling expenses and ￥10000 for remuneration. That ate up half of the receipts―which were only about ￥70000 in all. The printing and binding of 1,000 copies of the biography so called cost the Committee ￥80000 I understand Dr. Ryang generously payed ￥20000 out of his own pocket to appease the clamour of Kim Yung Hui. Now I can't let Ryang stand that loss. I have to pay the shortage simply to save Hyon from great embarrassment. Another fruit of Hyon's regretable folly is that he incurred the relentless hatred of Cynn for working for the celebration.
41
9th. Wednesday. Cloud―Sun.
42
Seoul home. A spring-like afternoon. Called on Mr. Jo Pyong Sang. one of the four injured men. He is getting well. 6 p.m. to Myong Wol Kwan where Mr. 朴榮喆 entertained the members of 土曜會時中會九日會 and of 淸交會.
44
10th. Thursday. Gloomy.
45
Seoul home. Last night Genl. Cho Sung Kun reported what he had heard Moon Myong Kui said the day before yesterday at the Chosen Hotel where the Kook Pang Bi Haing Kui Hun Lap Hoi(The National Defense Airplane Offering Association) . This Moon sold a mine for ￥100,00000. He donated the entire sum to the Army Authorities for purchasing airplanes for the Army and Navy. He told the crowd that he had a divine revelation from the "kamisama" when he visited the Ise Shrine sometime ago, encouraging him to go ahead with his good patriotic work. When he returned to Taiku the "kamisama" of Taiku Shrine also revealed himself of herself to him to give him the divine encouragement. Moon expects to raise a fund of 10 million yen by collecting ￥1.30 from every household in Korea. If the authorities want to raise a National Defense Fund they can do it in a dignified way. No use of putting up such a dirty charlatan for the work who will go about extorting money from the people in the name of patriotism and divine revelation.
47
11th. Friday. Pale a.m. Sun p.m. Mild.
48
Seoul home. Mr. H. Appenzeller and Kim Mok Sa called on me this morning to ask me to help the Pai Chai Higher Common School by assuming its control, either as its principal or as its founder. Of course I can't do that unless I am prepared to foot its bills.
49
5:30 the Central Y. Board of Directors met in the Social Room of the Y. Dr. Cynn presented the written resignation of Hyon Dong Wan. Yu Uk Kyum proposed to appoint a Committee to inquire into the reasons of Hyon's resignation. Cynn gave what he considered as the reasons which Yu didn't think sufficient. There upon Cynn tendered his resignation on the ground that he couldn't keep his position as General Secretary if the Board showed a lack of confidence in him.
51
12th. Saturday. Pretty―A spring-like day.
53
9 a.m. went to the Dong-A-Il-Po Square to pay my last respect to the remains of Mr. Hong Hui(洪熹) an eminent Chinese scholar and historian who died of apoplexy a few days ago. It would be hard to replace his loss in his line of historical learning.
54
Last night the Y. Board of Directors decided to have a special meeting on the 17th inst, at which Hyon Dong Wan is to be asked to give his reasons for resigning a post in which he had given a good service. Cynn's resignation was not accepted.
56
13th. Sunday. Bright―Mild.
57
Seoul home. What's in a dream? Paik Sang Kyu who is not given to superstition tells me that 30 or so years ago, when he went to America he had this remarkable dream. The night before the boat reached San Francisco, He saw Pak □□, the good for nothing brother of Pak Yong Kyu, meeting him at the wharf, asking him what he was coming to America for. Paik had never heard even that Pak □□, had gone to America. Next morning when he got off the steamer, lo and behold, there was Pak sure enough on the wharf, and asked identically the same question which he had asked in the dream.
60
Seoul home. Snow and rain most of the day turning the streets into mud puddles.
61
Another remarkable dream. Mr. □□ some years ago went to An-Sung to collect some money from Mr. Min □□. He had intended to leave the town the next day. That night he saw an old gentleman who was said to be his grandfather in a dream. who told not to leave the town the next day but study a day or two longer. When he awoke next morning Mr. Min told him that he couldn't give the money that day. So he had to stay over a day. The automobile which left the town that day which, □□ would have taken If he left too, was smashed. not far from An-Sung causing the death of 3 passengers.
63
15th. Tuesday. Snow―Very cold.
64
Seoul home. As the request of Frank Kim I entertained the members of the University Club. About 40 invitations to a dinner party at the Bankers Club were sent out. I went to the Club at 6 with Allen. Only 26 men replied to be present but twenty one came of whom six were Japanese and the rest Koreans. Mr. New-Il-Han who had just returned from a 6 months' trip around the world gave an interesting talk on what he saw. He said he was astonished at the wonderful way Japan made goods have penetrated into the markets all. over the world.
66
16th. Wednesday. Bitter cold. Bright.
67
Seoul home. This morning Dr. Cynn called. I said to him something like this: Tomorrow night if Hyon comes to the Directors' meeting and present his case, you have to take one of three attitudes. (1) Either you have to argue with him, or (2) to defy the Directors in case they decide unfavorably against you or (3) to resign without any attempt at any explanation. For a man of your standing it would be detrimental to your dignity to engage in any verbal duel with Hyon so much younger than you. Hence I advice you not do it. On the other hand, you may fight against the decision of the Board if you think it unjust and you may win your point. But whoever come out on the top, the great cause of Y.M.C.A. movement in general and the Central Y. in particular will suffer an irreparable loss while the unsightly quarrel goes on from week to week and may or from month to month. Let us remember also the fact that Dr. Mott is to visit us in March. The sight of our fighting will be very painful to him and hurtful to us. Therefore I advise you to resign quietly so as to settle this squabble between you and Hyon as quickly as possible. He said "I make an unconditional surrender. I leave my resignation(verbal) with you to do as you think best". Had a consultation with Messers. 兪, 吳, 梁 who came to the conclusion Cynn's resignation should be in writing and that Hyon shouldn't make his statement.
69
17th. Thursday. Bitter cold. Bright.
71
This morning I wrote Cynn asking him to send me his resignation in writing. He didn't answer. Barnhart called this afternoon. I told him exactly what I had advised Cynn to do. He approved of my action and asked me if I can assure him that Hyon would resign too, if Cynn did. I saw the point at once and promised him I would try to get Hyon's consent to do so.
72
I sent Kim Ung Chip to Hyon to tell him how the situation. stood and to ask him if he would save Cynn's face and the Central Y. from a prolonged quarrels by resigning gracefully. Hyon sent me a written request to ask the Board to accept his resignation. At 7 I met Barnhart. He was authorized by Dr. Cynn to give me his written resignation as soon as Hyon's is accepted. Crafty man this Cynn! The Board met with full attendance. Hyon's resignation was accepted. Then Board handed me Cynn's resignation. His partisans moved to sent it back to Cynn without accepting it. Thus we came near falling into Cynn's trap once more. But our side had more votes so Cynn's was finally accepted.
74
18th. Friday. Bitter cold. Bright.
75
Seoul home. This morning's Dong-A gives the number of pseudo-religious organizations at 127 with 200,000 adherents. Credulity is one of the most inconsistent and elastic faculties in human nature. Just think there are millions of Tibetans who literally devoutly believe that their living Buddah has had untold milleniums of rebirths up to date and will have other untold milleniums of rebirths in future before he gets to his Nervanah. Here is our man Yun Hak Soon who is a hard boiled skeptic. He would poop at the miracles of Christianity etc. but he spend days―nay years in poring over books on geomancy and move the bones of his dead parents from one grave to another in search for an auspicious ground.
77
19th. Saturday. Bright. Cold.
78
Left Seoul 8 a.m. train for Song Do. Meeting of the Song Do Higher C.S. Board of Control 10 a.m. The session didn't adjourn until 1:30 p.m. I rushed to the station to catch the train for To-sung at 2:15. Arrived at the Paik-Chun Hot Springs 3 p.m. A refreshing bath. Then left the Springs at 6:23 and changing car at To-sung 7:46 arrived Seoul home about 10:30.
80
20th. Sunday. Cloudy―Chilly.
81
Seoul home. Mr. Yu Man Kyum, the elder brother of Yu Uk Kyum, called to know what I thought of the suggestion of Kim Tai Woo to give our Grace as wife for his younger brother. I told Yu that I had seen the Young man first in a photo and then in person when he called on me some weeks ago: that while I liked his appearance we, I and wife, feel he is a little too young besides being in the first year class in a law school; and that if we really wanted to marry Grace to him, we would have opened the negotiation direct with Kim Tai Woo, and not through any officious go-between like Jung Jai Hup.
83
21st. Monday. Pale sun. Bitter cold.
84
Seoul home. Hong Byong Sun called this morning. He has just risen from some trouble in his ears which kept him confined to his room for over a week. Cynn who hated him for what he regards as ungrateful desertion on the part of Hong who didn't back him in his anti-Ryang intrigues, paid Hong frequent visits in his sick room just to use him as a cat's paw. I frankly told Hong that whoever might become the new Genl. Secretary he would have a hard time to deal with the pro-Cynners in and out of the Y.; that he couldn't get along without the wise and hearty co-operation of men like Hong and Hyon. Hong seemed to feel relieved to hear that.
86
22nd. Tuesday. Pale sun. Chilly.
87
Seoul home. Hong P.S. told me yesterday that Cynn after having conducted the morning prayer meeting in the Central Y. for the last time as the Genl. Secretary, said to the staff that he didn't consider his retirement as a failure etc. He during his tenure of the office. has exhausted to the last penny all the reserve funds which I and Mr. Gregg left when we resigned: he has turned the institution into a hive of intrigues making it a byword of reproach to the Korean public, he has reduced the membership to 1/4 of what it was when he assumed the office 15 years ago; he has destroyed the confidence and good will of the local Y.M.C.A. s of Pyong-yang.
88
2 p.m. called on Dr. Avison and gave what I thought to be the outline of the dispute between Cynn and the Board Directors of Taiku, of Ham-hung, of Sun Chun and of Kwang Ju; he has finally and deliberately transformed the Y.M.C.A. of Seoul into the headquarters of Juk-Kuk-Dan whose object is the seizure of all the organs in the Christian church, Methodist of Presbyterian, to make Cynn the boss or Hitler. If that's not a failure, what is it?
90
23rd. Wednesday. Pale sun. Chilly.
91
Seoul home. Called on the Governor of Kyong Kui Province with Messrs. 芮宗錫 and 朴榮喆 at the request of the Principal of the First H.C. School at 11:30 to ask the Governor to grant ￥200,00000 for rebuilding the school. The Governor told us that the provincial Government is loaded with a debt of ￥10,000,00000 and that if the patrons or citizens of Seoul would raise ￥100,00000 he would make up the balance for the building fund! I p.m. to Myong Wol Kwan to entertain Genl. Iwasa to a lunch.
93
24th. Thursday. Bright―Cold.
94
Seoul home. Yesterday morning Hong P.S. came to see me and suggested that the Cynn and Hyon quarrel might be stopped if the Board Directors would promote Cynn to the honorary position of Ko-Moon Chong Mu―which Mr. 李商在 used to occupy and Hyon Dong Wan to that of Genl. Secretary. About 4 p.m. yesterday I saw Mr. Barnhart who gave me the suggestion coming from Cynn that the whole trouble might be smoothed over if the Board Directors would rescind the resignations of Cynn and Hyon restoring them to their former positions on the condition that Cynn tender his resignation at most a month later just before he leaves for America. If the Board Directors should act on either of the two suggestion―who can guarantee that Cynn and his co-Cynners will not turn and twist the changed attitude of the Directors in such way as to make Cynn once more appear to have been unjustly treated by them. They are such clever intriguers! This morning ar 11 Mr. Kim Il Sun passed away. He had an operation about a week ago. I saw him last the day before yesterday. he was too weak to speak but I was then told that he was doing well according to the doctor who had charge of his case. The Korean community of Seoul has lost one of its very best citizens―and God know how preciously few they are! Went to see his family about 2:30. I don't remember having ever wept for a departed friend as sincerely as did this afternoon.
96
25th. Friday. Bright―Mild.
97
Seoul home. Miss. Wagner left Seoul for America 3 p.m. God be with her while at home and bring her back safe and well to us in time.
99
26th. Saturday. Bright―cold.
100
Seoul home. 9:30 went to Ewha College to attend the Annual Meeting of the Board of Managers. Budget passed. Took lunch at the Station Restaurant with Dr. Ryang, Messrs. Yu U.K. and Oh K.S. at 12.
101
Dr. Oh K.S. told us that Miss Im Yung Sin had called on him this morning and said among other things that Yu Ok Kyum had an illegal intercourse with Helen Kim who conceived a baby! Cynn is serpentine enough to have invented such a story to injure Yu.
103
27th. Sunday. Bright―Chilly.
104
Seoul home. This morning three police men went to 光鉉's home and examined his books and papers etc. Then they took him to the Provincial Police Bureau, though they had found nothing incriminating in his books and papers. I strongly suspect that this is a dirty trick of Jung Jai Hup possibly under the instigation of Kim Tai Yu. The wretched Jung in the hearing of brother Chi Chang said time and again that he would kill anybody who might interfere with the marital negotiations(?) between Grace and Kim's young brother.
105
7:30 the Wha Shin Department Store was burnt to the ground.
107
28th. Monday. Cloudy―Chilly.
108
11 a.m. the funeral service for Mr. Kim Il Sun was held in the large auditorium of the Central Y. The room was full and those who attended the service showed genuine sorrow. The funeral procession started from the Y. to the grave about 12:30. Dr. Ryang and I went to the grave yard where the earthly remains of our friend were laid by the loving hands of his devoted friends. Returned to the city about 2:30 p.m. Lunch at the Lily Garden.
109
4 p.m. attended a meeting of the Executive Committee of the C.L.S. Of the 10 members present 3 were Koreans. The main item on the docket was the confirmation or non-confirmation of the appointment of Rev. Jun Pil Soon to the Chief Editorship of the Christian Messenger. That he has made himself a persona non grata to many missionaries and to the North-Westerner men by identify in himself with the cessiders and the notorious Positive Band of Cynn was agreed by all present. But to discharge him on that account would arouse an ugly quarrel between the Bandits or Cynners and the C.L.S. So we adopted a motion to extend his term until the end of September of this year in which month the General Assembly would take a final step in the matter.
110
光鉉 was released from the Provincial Police Bureau. He is almost certain that Jung Jai Hup was at the bottom of his arrest.
112
29th. Tuesday. Snow on the ground.
113
Seoul home. This afternoon Miss Im Yung Sin came to see me. I told her how ungenerously Hyon Dong Wan had been treated by Cynn or his "soldiers", in the matter of changing his room during his absence; of transdepositing the endowment fund from one bank to another without any notice to Hyon who had kept the deposit certificates faithfully for 7 or more years; and of expelling the teachers whom Hyon had secured for the night school and who had served for years during his absence just to put Cynn's own followers in their stead.
114
Miss Im amused me by reporting what Miss P.I.D. said about Helen Kim to the effect that Helen had carried on love affairs with Cynn for years and that Helen has no right to throw stones at P.I.D.Im thinks Helen Kim hates P.I.D. because she still loves Cynn intensely.
116
30th. Wednesday. Bright―Cold.
118
This being my 71st birthday according to the Old Calendar, we had a family reunion. Nearly 50 guests for luncheon.
120
31st. Thursday. Bright―Cold.
121
Seoul home. This morning Dr. Cynn called with Mr. Kim, the General Secretary of Pyong Yang Y. I gave the latter ￥50000 toward furnishing the new Y. building in that city. Cynn stayed after Kim's departure and to my disgust tried to explain how and why Hyon's room was changed etc., making it appear that all those things had been done with the consent of Hyon! Sorry Cynn stoops to even unblushing lies to justify himself. But I had to ease my conscience by giving a frank advice to Cynn. In short I asked him to ponder on three things: (1) "A man who has no love for you said that you could easily be the first man in the Korean society if you acted so as to win the good will of the people. (2) How has it come to pass that you have alienated even the good will of some of your best frieds―like Yu O.K., Oh K.S. and Dr. Ryang J.S.? The way Hyon Dong Wan was made to resign has created a bad impression. No amount of eloquence can explain away the suspicion that a good Y. worker was compelled to resign because he was treated unfairly. Then the Juk-Kuk-Dan has made itself notorious as a nest of intrigues employing corrupt political party tactics in the affairs of the Y.M.C.A. and of the church. Wherever there is quarrel or intrigue you are at once named as the wire puller. Remove that impression. Recover your lost friendships. (3) With your talents be ambitious to be Cynn of whole Korea and not of the boss of a clique or a party".
|
