2
1st. Saturday. Cloudy a.m. Dull sun.
5
2nd. Sunday. Bright. Pleasant.
6
Seoul home. 11 a.m. went to Citizens' Hall to attend the wedding ceremony of Won Bok Hie, a grand daughter of Hon, Won Ung Sang. After the ceremony was over cousin Chi-Oh and I were invited to Won Duk Sang's home for little feast. There were Won Ung Sang and Won Duk Sang all brothers. Mr. Chang Hun Sik who officiated at the wedding was also present. They all agreed it would be best to adopt the Japanization of names. Returned home about 5 p.m.
8
3rd. Monday. Rain from 5 a.m.
9
Seoul home. Rain on and off all day but in such unsatisfying sprays that one is tempted to be impatient with Nature for this miserly rationing of rain itself.
10
Called on Yi Kwang Soo about 12 morning. He was away from home but had a talk with his exceptionally intelligent wife. She told me that after her husband had changed his name over a thousand letter have been received, all reviling and threatening him. On an average, five letters come everyday even now.
12
4th. Tuesday. Cloudy a.m.
15
5th. Wednesday. Cloudy a.m. Sun p.m.
18
6th. Thursday. Cloudy.
19
Seoul home. Had a lowering sky in the morning and also in the afternoon giving some promise of rain but nothing came of it. Too bad!
21
7th. Friday. Beautiful.
24
8th. Saturday. Cloudy. Warm.
25
Seoul home. Had a "sonaiki" about 7 p.m. lasting about half an hour.
27
9th. Sunday. Beautiful.
30
10th. Monday. Beautiful.
33
11th. Tuesday. Beautiful. Breezy.
34
Seoul home. This morning papers report that Italy formally declared war against England and France yesterday afternoon and that she began war-like operations against Corsica and the French Riviera the moment the declaration was made.
35
I wonder what America and Japan will do.
37
12th. Wednesday. Beautiful.
38
Seoul home. With cousins Chi-Oh and Chi-Soh went to Yun Kun Yung's home to pay our consolatory respect to the grave of his father(尹容求) who died a year ago. The old man was a gentleman and scholar, a noted calligrapher and a strict Confucian moralist. His son Kun Yung gave him much trouble by sowing wild oats. We had to take the train from the Keijo-Choon Chun R.R. at 9:10 for Wol-kok station from which we had to foot it for half an hour to get to Yun's home.
39
Returned to city about 12:30.
41
13th. Thursday. Beautiful.
44
14th. Friday. Dull sun―Warm.
45
Seoul home. 10 a.m. went to the Keiki Provincial Agriculture Experiment Farm to transplant the rice seedlings in the field whose crop is destined to be used as offerings in Shrines. The Governor of the Province, the Mayor of Seoul and a host of others participated in the transplanting ceremony. A simple but wholesome lunch made from the produce of the Farm was served. Returned home about 1:30 p.m.
47
15th. Saturday. Bright. Breezy.
48
Seoul home. The morning papers announce that Paris capitulated to the Germans yesterday afternoon. Thus Hitler has done in two months what Hindenburg, Ludendorf and Kaiser failed to do in four years. Hitler has shown himself the greatest warrior since Napoleon.
50
16th. Sunday. Cloud most of the day.
51
Seoul home. A few drops of rain about 3 p.m.
52
Received formal permit for the Japanization of our names.
54
17th. Monday. Cloud and Sun alternate.
55
Seoul home. The Japanization of our family surname into Ito(伊東) with change of names presented to the Mayor's Office for Census Record this afternoon. From this day my full name is 伊東致昊 or T.H. Ito in Japanese.
57
18th. Tuesday. Cloudy a.m. Breezy.
58
Seoul home. Papers say the French Cabinet has decided to surrender, suing for armistice. Most astounding that the proud France reputed to have the most perfect army in the world has collapsed as a badly punctured rubber-ball! Some say the Communist Elements in the Army refused to fight for the cause of capitalism. Thus every nation will have to adopt the Nazi or Fascist totalitarianism just to preserve its integrity and independence.
59
Can England stand the terrible on-sleight the Germans, directly reinforced by Italy and indirectly helped by Russia?
60
Wife and I invited Mrs. Han (Im Yung Shin) to luncheon at Mitsukoshi Restaurant. She had returned to Seoul from America a few days ago.
62
19th. Wednesday. Cloudy a.m. Sun p.m.
63
Seoul home. 9:30 a.m. attended the Shinto celebration of the 2,600th Anniversary of the Founding of the Empire by Jimmu Tenno.
65
20th. Thursday. Brilliant. Hot.
66
Seoul home. 8:30 a.m. called on Mr. Ota, the English Interpreter of the Government General at his office by appointment. He informed me that Mr. Ryang Ju Sam had consented to go to Japan to attend the Summer Meetings of the Japanese Cultural Association and to deliver a lecture on the present Religious Condition in Chosun. I was asked to go with him to participate. Such informal conferences as the Association may seem fit to arrange for the foreigners for whose benefit the lectures are given. I had to consent since I had promised to go on the condition that either Ryang or Hugh Cynn would go to deliver the main lecture.
68
21st. Friday. Brilliant. East wind.
69
Seoul home. Today is Summer Solstice. By this time with normal supply of water rice seedlings should have been transplanted to paddy fields. The dreadful drought of last year still continuing the transplantation is yet delayed in the 7 out of 13 Provinces―the Central and Southern rice producing provinces. A famine year is a forgone conclusion now. What a dreadful year we are facing!
70
1,500,000 "kamanis" of white rice are to be sent to Japan proper for which we Korean are to get so many kamanis of barley.
72
22nd. Saturday. Hot sun. West breeze.
73
Seoul home. Brother Chi-Chang bought a second-hand automobile in Tokyo. It was safely brought up to his home sometime ago but can't use it because the police will not give permit as no gasoline is allowed for private cars which didn't own license up to the 31st May. Chi-Chang has no business to spend over at least ten thousand Yen(though he doesn't tell me the exact price) when he is 6 or 7 times that much deep in old debts. I fear his wife―whose ambition to live like a millionaire American―is responsible for this, as she has been for so many other superfluous expenditures. What annoys me is that this American educated woman sets very deleterious example and pace to her two sisters-in-law, my wife and Chi-Wang's wife. These two are naturally given to passions for vanity, ease, luxury try to copy or excel their American-spoiled sister in high living. These women care not how deep their husbands get into debts, just so they can have luxuries.
75
23rd. Sunday. Pale sun a.m.
76
Seoul home. With □□ and □□ went to Pal Dang Ri by 12:15 morning train. Had our lunch on our river-side field. Our boy seemed to enjoy the excursion. Returned home by 6:30 p.m. train.
78
24th. Monday. Rain 8:30 a.m. 10 p.m.
79
Seoul home. Began raining about 8:30. Went to Chung Riang and from there to No Riang Chin and back in the tram-cars just to feel how good the rain is. The rain stopped about 10 in the night. I wish it had kept raining for at least 3 or 4 days without stopping.
80
General Minami who had returned to his post this morning from a month's trip to Tokyo, sent me this afternoon a small box of "twukutani" and a silver Vanco(萬古) Fountain-pen. I am grateful but surprised that this blunt and dictatorial warrior should show me such personal kindness.
82
25th. Tuesday. Cloudy―Cool a.m.
83
Seoul home. The terms of trace or peace which the cruel Hitler has proposed to the collapsed France are as vindictive and Shylockish as the terms of peace which Clemenceau and Loyd George imposed on Germany in 1919. Without approving of Hitler's meanness, I can't help feeling a sort of satisfaction that Loyd George lives to see what the abominable Versailles treaty has done. Only wish Clemenceau had lived to learn the eternal truth that to Forgive is to be Forgiven and that Real Peace begins only where Retaliation ends.
85
26th. Wednesday. Cloud a.m. Sun p.m.
86
Seoul home. The rain of the 24th did much good in North-West Korea and some parts of Southern Chul-la-Do but entirely insufficient for Kyong-ki, North and South Choong-chung, and Northern Chul-la. Thus five Central and Southern Provinces are facing a dreadful famine year.
88
27th. Thursday. Cloud a.m. sun p.m.
89
Seoul home. 5 p.m. the Korean Council of Y. held a meeting of the Permanent Committee at the Keijo Y. room. Mr. Kasaya is certainly a good worker diligent and systematic. After all is said and done, there is no doubt our Japanese friends are doing things far better than the Koreans in any line of work. The Korean Y.―in Seoul is nothing but a loafing place for a dozen men who are paid salaries and nothing doing.
91
28th. Friday. Cloudy a.m.
92
Seoul home. For the last four days cloudy mornings followed by sunny afternoons.
93
12:30 with wife went to Jai Dong Primary School where 學藝會 or Artistic Exhibition, so called, was given by the boys and girls in little plays, songs, dances, recitations etc. The program was 5 hours long yet we sat there patiently and glad to see our baby boy participate in the exercises. The program could and should have been made sweeter by being shorter at least by 2 hours.
94
6 p.m. the Seoul Orphanage held a meeting, its Board of Directors at Lily Garden. The supper was simply so wretched I couldn't eat.
96
29th. Saturday. Brilliant. Hot.
97
Seoul home. The Army authorities through Mr. Choi Rin asked me to give an address through radio in regard to the situation in of Choong-king. Well I had to say Yes, especially as the speech was to be furnished by the Army. I had thought I had to talk in Korean. This afternoon the Broadcast Bureau informed me that I have to talk in English and the copy to be translated. What a bother. But I had to translate it taking 3 warm hours to do it!
99
30th. Sunday. Cloud and sun.
100
Seoul home. Allen had to type with the speech for me this morning.
101
10 p.m. with cousin Chi-Yung went to the Broadcast Station or Bureau and read off the speech through radio. When I got through, a Chinese translated the same in Mandarin. I hope the Chinese citizens of Choong king were duly impressed and edified by my speech. By the way this is the first time I ever tried to speak and that in English through radio. I hope this is the last time I have had the honor speaking to the Chinese through radio.
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