2
1st. Wednesday. Bright―Cold.
3
Seoul home. Visited wife at Sanitarium 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
4
5 p.m. with 光鉉 went to Kook-Il-Kwan to entertain Mr. Yi Kakjong to supper. He is well known to be officially connected with the Police Bureau. He volunteered information that Tokyo and other big cities in Japan proper are honeycombed with secret associations or groups of men who are plotting for Revolutionary Renovation(革新) . Their common objective is national-socialism under the Emperor. Some of their extremists has the motto 一人一殺 or one-kill-one. What the brave soldiers from the vast battle fronts without some tangible gain; when they see their dear ones starving while millionaires from war industries know not what to do with their money, then there will be a terrible revolution unless the rulers devise means and ways to prevent such an event. The Renovationists want property owners to return their possessions to the Emperor who is the real owner of all properties. Now this is communism in disguise with loyalty to the Emperor as a smoke screen over Marxism.
6
2nd. Thursday. Snappy cold. Bright
7
Seoul home. 12 went to Citizens' Hall where Miss Min Hye Sik was wedded to Sim Hak Jin. There were six long congratulatory speeches. Visited wife at 3 p.m.
9
3rd. Friday. Cloudy―Cold.
10
Seoul home. Went to Sanitarium with Allen 12:30 and returned home with wife. She seems to have been much benefitted by the careful treatments during the last 19 days. It would have been best if she could have stayed a week or two longer. But she has to return home as she has menstruation not only but also the coming new year day(Lunar Calender) besides my 76th birthday, that requires her presence at home.
12
4th. Saturday. Bright. Cold.
13
Seoul home. Quite sleepless during the night.
14
Invited Major General Kaneko to lunch at the Chosun Hotel. Kim Ul Han and cousin Chi Yung also invited. General Kaneko seems to be a compact bundle of energy. He has a deep appreciation of what is good in the make up of the Korean people and a broad sympathy for their present situation and future aspect.
16
5th. Sunday. Bright―Icy cold.
17
Seoul home. Icy cold wind all day.
19
6th. Monday. Bright. Bitter cold.
20
Seoul home. Perhaps the coldest day we have had this winter. 16 below zero.
21
Invited Helen Kim and take sukiyaki supper at Yedogawa with me and Jung Kwang Hyon. The latter told Helen Kim that Su-do of the West Gate Higher Police Section is strongly in favor of making Helenthe Principal of the Ewha College.
23
7th. Tuesday. Bright. Bitter cold.
24
Seoul home. Went to the Mayor's Office at 3 p.m. where a number of Koreans and Japanese met to organize Volunteers Supporting Association 志願兵後援會. As there was no pay for the nominal President, they were generous enough to elect me for the position.
25
5 p.m. went to the Fellowship Tea given by the Methodist Missionaries of Seoul in honor of Bishop Baker, his wife and daughter.
26
7 p.m. went to Myong Wol Kwan at which Mr. Mrs. Matsuzawa, Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau gave a Korean dinner to Bishop and Mrs. and Miss Baker. Many of the Northern Methodist Missionaries were present. Hugh Cynn and I were only Koreans invited, Dr. Ryang being absent from the city. Was amused to hear the China Incidence. Chang Kai Suk―the Holy war and Japan American friendship mentioned in the host's table speech. Returned home about 9.
28
8th. Wednesday. Bright Icy cold.
29
Seoul home. The severe cold spell continues. Memorial service for the 77th Anniversary of our grandfather's death was held at 4 p.m. Brothers and cousins and their wives and children―such of them as could come―came and had a gracious family reunion.
31
9th. Thursday. Bright. Cold.
34
10th. Friday. Beautiful.
37
11th. Saturday. Bright p.m. Cold.
38
Seoul home. Cloudy and cold a.m.
40
12th. Sunday. Cloudy a.m. Sun p.m.
41
Seoul home. 4 p.m. we had a family reunion to celebrate the Anniversary of the 3rd year of our mother's departure.
43
13th. Monday. Bright and mild.
44
Seoul home. Left Seoul 8:40 a.m. for On-yang and Kwang-Sun. Arriving at the Station a little after 11:30, we taxied to our parents' tomb. After having paid our respect there we returned to the Hot Springs―where we had a good lunch. Left On-yang 2:17 p.m. and reached Seoul a little after 6.
46
14th. Tuesday. Bright. Cold.
47
Seoul home. This being my 76th birthday our children from Song Do come to have meals together.
48
6 p.m. went to Gray House to attend an Ewha College executive committee meeting.
50
15th. Wednesday. Bright. Cold.
51
Seoul home. Some three or four years ago Miss Appenzeller presented a formal resignation to the Board of Managers of Ewha College. I insisted on not accepting it, as I saw no good reason why she should resign. I would have opposed to her resigning now too had the condition of the times remained the same. But since the 7th July of 1937, things have so changed that her resignation would be best for the College. For three reason: (1) it is an open secret that the Powers-that-be don't want foreigners to be heads of secondary education in Korea. They are afraid that Americans may de-Japanize the Korean youth who are the children of the Emperor. (2) It is practically impossible for an American principal of a school to comply gracefully with all the requirements which the Education authorities are making on the schools. Bow to the flag every time you get on the platform. Recite the Oath of Loyalty. Silent prayers for the success of the Japanese armies or for the happiness of the dead soldiers in the other world. Sing the patriotic songs. Go to the Shrine in season and out of season. Often an American can hardly keep face straight as he attempts to go through these formalities. The pupils notice the awkward and often the cynical expressions in the attitude of the American. (3) The police and spies notice it too and then make it hard for the Korean teachers.
53
16th. Thursday. Bright.
56
17th. Friday. Gloomy―Small flakes of snow.
57
Seoul home. Little flakes of snow from early morning melting as they hit the ground―Late in the evening larger flakes of snow.
58
This evening Mr. Kim Tai Woo phoned to me saying that so far as the people of Education Bureau are concerned they are all willing to accept Miss Helen Kim's appointment to the Presidency of Ewha College. This is an answer to my request to find out the attitude of the Education officials toward Helen Kim.
60
18th. Saturday. Cloudy a.m. Sun p.m.
61
Seoul home. Quite a thick blanket of snow on the ground in the morning―Must have snowed during the night.
62
4 p.m. the first anniversary of the death of our aunt was observed with appropriate ceremony at the home of cousin Chi-Soh.
63
This morning Dr. Ryang and I went to Ewha College to attend the Annual Meeting of the Board of Managers. When we told Miss Appenzeller what Kim Tai Woo had said she said she couldn't do anything about it at today's meeting.
65
19th. Sunday. Dull―Chilly. Pale sun p.m.
66
Seoul home. This is the 1st day of the 1st moon of the Lunar Calendar(己卯) . In spite of all the efforts of the Government and of certain social-improvement(?) clubs and individuals to abolish the custom of keeping the Lunar Calendar "First day feast," the people simply quietly prefer observing this day as the real holiday. Sentiment is stronger than reason.
68
20th. Monday. Pretty p.m. Mild.
69
Seoul home. Uncle tells me that when he was 15 years old he paid 5 cash (5 rin) per 10 li(3 miles) to a chair coolie. A table of inn rice cost 5 cash. When I was 16 years old a chair coolie was paid 20 to 25 cash(2 to 2 1/2 sen) per 10 li. Uncle says when he was young man a bag of unhulled rice was sold for 1.50 cash or 15 sen. When I was 11 years old a bundle of fire wood cost only 1 cash (1 rin) to keep a one kan room warm. Now a bag of rice (unhulled) is worth 15.00 or 100 times the price quoted by uncle.
71
21st. Tuesday. Smoky and dull a.m. Sun p.m.
72
Seoul home. Hear the Board of Managers of the Severance College in its annual session today elected Dr. Choi Dong(崔棟) , the President of the College in place of Dr. Oh. Missionary members of the Board including such gentle and kind hearted man like Dr. Anderson, voted solid against Dr. Oh. Possibly Dr. D. Avison voted for him. Dr. Oh is a strong and able man but he has been very foolish in antagonizing the missionaries by his unjustifiably dictatorial and high handed dealings with them.
74
22nd. Wednesday. Bright. Icy.
75
Seoul home. I invited Miss Hall, the founder of the Ewha College to Chosun Hotel to lunch with me. Dr. Ryang also present. After a chat about Miss Appenzeller's resignation we decided to write a note to Miss A. in the name of Dr. Ryang and me suggesting that a call meeting of the Board of Managers be convened next Friday to decide what to do in regard to presenting to the authorities the nomination of Miss Kim Helen as successor of Miss Appenzeller.
77
23rd. Thursday. Bright. Icy wind.
78
Seoul home. 9:15 a.m. went to C.C.C. to its Annual Meeting of the Field Board of Managers. Dr. Ryang and I tried to get Mr. Yu O.K. appointed a co-opt. Manager but majority opposed.
80
24th. Friday. Bright. Mild.
81
Seoul home. A call meeting of the Ewha College Board of Managers was convened at Gary House 10:30 a.m. Miss Appenzeller declared she would present her resignation as soon as the nomination of Miss Helen Kim is approved of by the authorities. After some discussion I moved that the resignation of Miss A. and the nomination of Miss Kim should be accepted by the Board of Managers conditionally until we are assured of the approval of the same by the Educational authorities. Adopted. Then we decided that Miss A. and I should call on the West Gate Police Chief and the Provincial Education Office to find out their attitude in regard to the change of the principal as above mentioned.
83
25th. Saturday. Bright―Icy.
84
Seoul home. Yesterday afternoon, Miss Appenzeller, Mr. 尹成淳, Dean of Ewha College, and I called on the Chief of West Gate Police Station. When we told him that Miss Appenzeller had decided to resign as soon as she be assured of the acceptability of Miss Helen Kim as her successor to the authorities concerned, the Chief said that as far as he was concerned Helen Kim's nomination would be entirely acceptable.
85
This morning at 10:30 Miss Appenzeller, Yun S.S. and I called on Mr. Shiobara, Director of Education. When we repeated to him what we had told the West Gate Police Chief, the Director said emphatically "ketko tesu"(very good) . Having found out this much it is now up to Miss Appenzeller to sign her resignation and send it up to the authorities with the nomination of Helen Kim as her successor. But Miss A. is probably reluctant to resign in spite of her repeated assertions to the contrary. Underwood is her coach insisting that she should hold on until a change comes―as surely it will come according to him―I feel disappointed at Miss A. for she thinks more of her ambition than of the interest of the school.
87
26th. Sunday. Bright. Icy.
90
27th. Monday. Lovely―Icy wind.
91
Seoul home. 1:30 p.m. went to the Field Artillery Park in Ryong San where an impressive memorial service was held in honor of the heroic dead who belonged to the Ryong San Division of the Army of Korea.
93
28th. Tuesday. Beautiful.
94
Seoul home. 3 p.m. went to Severance Chapel where Dr. Oh's 61st birthday was celebrated by the faculty, students and some of his friends. He is the first Korean who became the president of a college. The college had a deficit every year to the amount of ￥200,000.00; but succeeded to make the receipts and expenditure come out even soon after he took charge of the school and the hospital. His only fault was he treated the missionary members of the faculty too dictatorially. That made the entire foreign group his bitter enemy.
95
Dr. Oh's wife is 5 years older than he. She looks more like his grandma than his wife. I honor him for being faithful to such a homely but good woman.
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