2
1st. Thursday. Bright. A card to Allen
3
Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow!
4
Cold or indifferent, I felt in inclination to make new year visits. Called on our old friends Mrs. Underwood Sr. The old lady looked as well as expected. In the afternoon called on Mrs. Brockman with 文姬 and 恩姬. Rested the balance of the day.
5
Mr. B. sent me a Book of Prayer by Dr. Orchard. I have a sort of prejudice against prayers in print. They look and sound so formal and artificial. I believe a prayer should be as spontaneous and natural and unpremeditated as the unsophiscated cries of little children as they run to the bosom of their mothers or fathers in time of joy or of fear.
7
2nd. Friday. Cloudy a.m. Sun p.m.
8
Stayed at home. I understand that 351 families of the Japanese farmers were accepted by the 東拓會社 to be settled in Korea. That 351 or most likely double that number of Korean families of farmers had to be evicted from the lands they have been living on for generations It is rumored, and believes it only too true, that the Japanese, both official and private, are bending all their efforts to gather up lands in Korea. This policy of taking from the Korean the very foundation of his subsistence under the cover of 一視同仁 or treating the Koreans and the Japanese with the same benevolence, is one of the meanest and cruelest crimes of Japan.
10
3rd. Saturday. Bright. 16℉.
11
Y.M.C.A. as usual. Took supper at 2nd cousin's home 6 p.m. about 100 business men (Korean) , gathered in the Y. Auditorium to organize on orphanage association. Besides the fact that the movement has an object worthy in itself. I was particularly glad to see the business men interested in the work. They plan to raise by subscription ￥200,000 for endowing the proposed orphanage.
12
Mr. 金昶濟 made a fine address. I like this man. He is a reader and a thinker. He shows the well balanced state of his mind by keeping himself out of the Independence agitations. He has been called some bad names, yet I think he is a saner patriot than some fellows who brand everybody a traitor who doesn't go his way.
14
4th. Sunday. Bright. Cold. 4℉.
15
Worshipped at 宗橋 Church. 3 p.m. at Y.M.C.A. Mr. Kim Chang Jei spoke. He is a good speaker.
16
Mr. Cynn expounded to Mr. Yi Sang Chai and me his plan of a nation-wide evangelistic campaign. He thinks he has the private consent of Baron Saito who looks upon the scheme with toleration as the means of directing the mind of the young Korea to some cause other than political. Mr.
17
Yi is in hearty favor of it and I too believe that the coming Spring will be a fine opportunity for starting such a campaign. For Christ is the only hope for the Korean if not for the present, at least for the future. Only question is: How will the Korean public look at the movement if it knows that Cynn is back of it?
19
5th. Monday. Bright and bitter cold. 4℉.
20
Y.M.C.A. as usual. On July 26th 1914, a company of soldiers were called out to disperse 1,000 unarmed National volunteers in Ireland. Crowds gathered and some stones were thrown at the soldiers. Fire was opened on the crowd killing 4 and wounding 60. A commission of inquiry was oppointed at once but didn't report until Oct. 1st, when it was found that the employment of the police and military was illegal; that Genl. C. who allowed the use of the military was wrong; that the soldiers were not justified in firing; and that the 21 soldiers who fired did so without orders. But nobody was punished for this wrong and unjustifiable conduct. Can the British throw stone at the Japanese soldiers who committed the Suwon atrocities or the Japanese Government who didn't punish anyone for the crime?
22
6th. Tuesday. Very cold. Pale.
23
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 3 p.m. called on Mr. Niwa and Judge Watanabe asking them to find out the attitude of the authorities regarding the proposed campaign which the Korean Y.M.C.A. desires to start to raise its endowment fund to ￥100,000 Both agreed with me as to the necessity of the plan and promised to help us in the matter.
24
Entertained 岡本警部 and 橋本警部 to Korean supper. The former wouldn't touch any of the Korean "panchan" while the latter ate everything that was set before him. From these men I learned the sad fact that 申勝熙 had been beaten or tortured to death by the gendarmes of 龍山.
26
7th. Wednesday. Mild and windy. Snow.
27
發信: Wrote 李鍾元 Miss Wanger.
28
Y.M.C.A. as usual. Snow from 10 a.m. more or less to 3 p.m. Windy evening. Last snow still thick on the ground.
29
Miss Wanger's letter mailed from Song Do on the 30th Dec, 1919 reached me this morning―after 8 days solid. A simple post card from Y.M.C.A. gets to the Severance Hospital in 4 days. What's the matter?
30
In 1915 I bought a summer overcoat for ￥19.00 in Tokyo. I had to pay ￥18.00 the other day to have the same coat made over by turning the inside out. The tailor said the coat, if made new, would cost me ￥75.00.
31
An ox load of fire wood from ￥8.00 to ￥12.00.
33
8th. Thursday. Bright.
34
Y.M.C.A. as usual. About 11 a.m. a young man said to be from Shin Wuijoo came into my office and claimed to have come with a message from An C.H. to find out definitely my attitude toward the Independence movement. I told him that as long as we are agreed to work for the best interest of the Korean race, we should be tolerant to each other as to the method. Let not him who runs blame him who stands or sits and let not him who stands blame him who runs. "Besides" I had to tell him frankly: "Do you suppose I would tell you everything I feel or think to you whom I have met for the first time in my life?" The young fellow didn't seem to understand my frank statement and sat for nearly an hour. I had to leave the room when he followed me and assuming a threatening look, trembling with anger said: "Do you treat me thus, not telling me your opinion―me who have come so far to see you?" That made me angry so I said: "I didn't ask you to come. You may have the right to ask any opinions but haven't I the right not to answer?" He left me in rage saying: "I understand. I understand."
35
敎役者 懇親會 at 7 p.m. About 14 persons present.
37
9th. Friday. Bright and cold. 6℉.
38
Y.M.C.A. as usual. In 1841, the population of Ireland was 8,175,124; in 1914 only 4,375,554.
39
One by one, the English delibrately strangled the incipient industries of Ireland: woolen, glass, cotton, sail cloth, sugar refining, shipping the cattle and provision trade―all went.
40
Irish merchants were even forbidden to use ships not built in England.
41
The linen industry was legally confined to ulster while the countries in the South and West of Ireland were barred out of the industry. Even today there is no railroad to the Irish coal fields.
42
1846 there were 19,883 fishing vessels in Ireland giving profitable occupation to 93,000 men and boys. By 1904 only 6,236 boats, this result obtained by a careful license system.
44
10th. Saturday. Bright. Thawing.
45
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 李一 told me that a young man from Shanghai desired to see me and that his object was to get some money from me to aid him establish an organ of communication between the Provisional Gov't in Shanghai and Seoul. I had to tell 李 frankly not to introduce the man to me as I couldn't comply with his request. If the members of the Prov. Govt. see it wise to stay out of Korea having their headquarters in the rench Concession in Shanghai in order to be secure from the Japanese police why do they think it strange that I should avoid doing anything that might expose me and family to the tender mercies of the Japanese law?
47
11th. Sunday. Bright. Thawing.
48
Worshipped at 宗敎 Church as usual. Mr Ryang made a good talk on "Redeeming the Time."
49
The Protestant clergy, in Ulster Ireland are reported to have issued instructions to their people to oppose the Home Rule in any shape―when the whole world regards the Home Rule as nothing more than a bare justice. Can these men have the brass to preach the Gospel of love of justice and of mercy? If they do who will believe them?
50
Yet the Irish who have suffered so much oppression and injustice at the hands of the English will not hesitate to practice the same to those who are weaker than they; it is the Irish laborers in America who are most anti-Asiatic. I am told.
52
12th. Monday. Cloudy. Thawing.
53
Y.M.C.A. as usual. About 2p.m. with 具滋玉 and 李一 called on Dr. Kawakami at 長城路.
54
Rain and snow from 6:30 p.m. Inspite of the inclement weather and the muddy streets the auditorium was quite full of young men to hear 申興雨 and 兪星濬.
55
The Japanese teachers and all are never tired to tell the Korean children as well as men that we Koreans should be grateful to the Teno Heika for his goodness etc. Listen! "The children of Erin in returning daily thanks to God for the blessings of English rule were forced to include a burst of gratitude for being born a happy English child!"
57
13th. Tuesday. Cloudy.
58
Big snow last night. 5 p.m. went to 奉春館 to attend the after-wedding banquet given the relatives of Pak Suk Yun 朴錫胤 and Choi Sul Kyung, who were merried yesterday. The guests were mostly young people. The presence of a large number of "kisaings" didn't comport well with the sanctity of the occasion. I stayed only out of my sympathy for 崔南善 whose sister is the bride.
59
By the way the Korean restaurants in Seoul are becoming so dirty that it makes one blush with shame to invite any stranger to take a Korean meal in one of these dens of thieves. The prodigal 浮浪子 was spoiled the restaurants. The people who can't run a decent restaurant want to run an independent state!
61
14th. Wednesday. Very cold. 6℉.
62
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 4 p.m. 沈天風, 朴勝彬 and a few other friends besides myself entertained Dr. Kawakami at a Korean supper at 太和館. He is a handsome old man looking the very picture of gentleness. For many years past he has been a friend to the Koreans in Tokyo. He is an active member of the 融和會 or the Society for the promotion of Friendly Relations between Japan and Her Neighbors. He has a son-in-law a Hong 洪, who is the descendant of a Korean who was taken to Japan 300 years ago by one of Hiteyoshi's generals.
64
15th. Thursday. Very cold.
65
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 7 p.m. went to the Japanese Y.M.C.A. Club to attend the welcome reception given to Dr. Kawakami by the members of the Japanese Christian Union in Seoul. Six Japanese, two Koreans. The room entirely too airy. Dr. K. spoke at length his mission to Korea this time―that is; he was sent by his Society to present warm stockings to the 3,000 Japanese policemen who have taken the place of gendarmes in Korea.
66
The thing that made me to honor and admire him most was the simple story how his aged wife has been rising at 4 a.m. to cook rice for Mr. 金貞植's son whom the Dr. is helping to educate in Tokyo. It takes the boy one hour from home to School. He has to breakfast at 5:30 a.m.
68
16th. Friday. Bright and cold. 6℉.
69
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 7 p.m. went to the residence of the Governor General to a Japanese supper given in honor of Dr. Kawakami. Mr. 金貞植 and I were the only Koreans present. This entertainment coming, as it did, at the heel of the tea party given at the Chosen Hotel by Dr. Kawakami this afternoon, makes me quite tired.
70
I hear that they have had no snow in Kyung Sang Province. The snow lying so long on the ground―another coat of thick snow as soon as the last one begins to melt―the streets all glassy with ice when not muddy―all this is altogether a rare thing in Seoul.
72
17th. Saturday. Cold bright. 6℉.
73
9:50 a.m. went to the Station to see Dr. 川上 off. Very bitterly cold. Y.M.C.A. as usual.
74
The week of religious talks at the Central Y. came to its close tonight. The auditorium was full and Pastor 金弼秀 gave a good talk. The experiment showed things: 1. The young people of the city are eager to hear something religious talks as the next best thing to political harangues. 2. Remarkable that the large proportion―may be―the majority of the young men are country boys. 3. The speakers tend to make their talks secular and popular only tipping the ends of the speeches with religious exhortations. All good but lack the spiritual power which only can move the heart. 4. The constant tendency on the part of the audience to read politics into everything a man says.
76
18th. Sunday. Bright. 12℉.
78
Worshipped at 宗橋 Church. Pastor 申公叔 gave a really good sermon on the super naturalness of the three Christian graces of rejoicing ever more of praying without ceasing and of giving thanks in everything.
79
I read: "By a clever system of regulations and administrative enactments Ireland has been shut off from direct contact with foreign countries. 97% of Ireland's commerce is with England. The same system forces the Irish to buy always exclusively in the English market." Change the proper names and you will see what adept pupils the Japanese are.
81
19th. Monday. Cloudy a.m. Bright p.m.
82
Felt miserable―stayed at home.
83
A writer says: "From 1870 to 1916 Home Rule meant Ireland and Ireland meant Home Rule. For the first time in seven centuries the Irish put armed force aside and submitted their demand for independence to the arbitral justice of an English parliament."
84
I am tempted to ask: Why didn't Ireland embrace the Protestant form of Christianity? That would have changed the history of the island for the better long ago. One may say a people should not change its religion for political advantages. But my answer is that the form of Christianity that was good enough for the Germans, the Scandinavians and the Anglo Saxons should have been good enough for the Irish, too.
86
20th. Tuesday. Cloudy-snow some.
87
Y.M.C.A. as usual. It is intensely interesting to me read that in the Irish Parliament, the Senate was to be nominated by the Government; that the Crown was to reserve all questions connected with the army, the navy, foreign relations, coinage and the collection of taxes; that no power was granted over trade or the Post Office or the constabulary and that the Lord Lieutenant was to be vested with power to reverse and annul all legislature enacted by the Irish Parliament. Certainly this is moderate enough and modest enough kind of Home Rule. Yet England Christian England missionary sending England have so far refused to grant it. I hope Japan wouldn't be as foolish.
89
21st. Wednesday. Cloudy. Snow
90
Y.M.C.A. as usual. Big snow between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. 4 p.m. went to Prince Pak Young Hio's home to attend a conference in regard to a movement to raise a famine relief fund for the 3 North Western Provinces. Besides the host only 6 persons were present. To meet again next Monday evening.
91
All agreed as to the need of such a fund but everybody except 朴準圭 expressed the fear that we might not be able to raise even as much as ￥200,000.00 and that the authorities might interfere with the distribution in some way or another. I believe missionaries and pastors would be the best agents for distribution of the Fund; but I know that is out of question.
93
22nd. Thursday. Cloudy. Chilly.
94
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 8 p.m. went to Dr. Avison's home. He and his charming wife gave a family evening party to the members of the Y.M.C.A. staff.
95
Learned for the time today from Pastor 金 that Kim Kwang Suh had left Seoul some months ago for nortern Korea without making any provision for the maintenance of his family and that his wife and three children are in great destitution. Did Captain Kim imagine, as so many agitators imagined or believed that independence could be realized in a few months? If so he showed great ignorance of the history of the world.
97
23rd. Friday. Cloudy. Chilly. 5℉.
99
Y.M.C.A. as usual. 4 : 30p.m. the regular meeting of the Board of Directors was held at Mr. Gregg's. I tendered resignation and was accepted. Thank God!
100
The Korean Y.M.C.A. has been carried on a false basis of pauperizing financial aid from the International Committee. No mater how prosperous a Y.M.C.A. might seem, its prosperity is unreal, unhealthy and immoral as long as it depends on outside aid for its very existence. In order to make the Korean Y. real it must first decline to accept the annual subsidy from America. In order to do this strict economy should be practiced suspending some of the departments if needs be. The endowment fund should be raised to ￥100,000.00 The great trouble is that Brockman does not realize the situation.
102
24th. Saturday. Pretty p.m.
103
Went to Y.M.C.A. and formally announced my resignation to the staff. 3 p.m. entertained the members of the Fine Art Club to tea.
104
6 p.m. went to the Chosen Hotel to attend the banquet given by the new mayor of the City of Seoul Mr. Saitc.
105
A phone message from Prince Pak Yong Hio to the effect that owing to some objections from the Home Affair Office the relief Fund conference coudn’t be held next Monday night as was agreed on last Wednesday. Well, better not start the movement if any hitch is to render it a good intention badly carried out.
107
25th. Sunday. Bright. Thawing.
108
Worshipped at 宗橋 Church. Dr. Schoffield gave a very good talk on the subject that "Faith without work is dead." Among other things he said: "You talk about independence but if you don't quit your laziness have not a shadow of hope." Once he told me: "God gave the Korean a country and a long finger nail to choose between. He (the Korean) chose the long finger nail and let go the country"―a very telling and happy way of saying that the Korean has lost the country thru laziness. To regard office holding as the summum bonum in this life has made parasitism honorable in Korea. Hence do-nothing-ism or laziness is the sign of a gentleman.
110
26th. Monday. Cloudy.
111
About 10 : 30 a.m. called on Bish. Welch. He seems to be a man of great commonsense. His attitude vis-a-vis. The Korean independence movement has been dignified, sane and withal sympathetic the necessarily non-partisan. In an article in the Seoul Press some time ago, the Bishop had this among others: "To assert that the A.T. enjoins unquestioning submission to the government existing at the time in any country; that the moral law forbids any attempt to change the form of the government or the rulers is to contradict not only human instinct but human history―the history of Japan as well as that of other nations."
112
With 申興雨 entertained Bish. and Mrs. W. at a dinner at the Chosen Hotel. Dr. and Mrs. Noble and Miss Appenzeller also present. Was a pleasant evening.
114
27th. Tuesday. Bright-mild. Beautiful p.m.
116
9:20a.m. Wife gave birth to a boy pleased everybody. Praise God from Whom All Blessing flow! God grant that this child shall grow to be a good, glorious, godly man who will serve his God and his people with faith, love and success. I have named him 璋善.
117
Bishop Welch said yesterday morning: "It is better to deserve freedom and not to have it than to have it and not to deserve it."
118
Booker Washington said that freedom is a conquest and not a bequest. Can you conceive freedom of any kind, moral, social, physical or political that is not the freedom of conquest over something evil of one sort or another?
120
28th. Wednesday. Cloudy. Rain p.m.
121
來信 Cablegram fr. 致旺 asking for money.
122
The first rain of the spring. 恩姬 suffered much from constipation last night. Had hardly any rest from 2 a.m. this morning until daybreak.
123
Talaat, the Turk who turned a tyrant soon after having proclaimed a democratic constitutional monarchy for Turkey said to Mr. Morgenthaw: "I have been greatly disappointed at the failure of the Turks to appreciate democratic institutions. I hoped for it once and worked hard for it but they were not prepared for it." How many intelligent and patriotic Chinese and Russians must have said identically the same thing about the Chinese Russian peoples who are making such a poor use of democracy!
125
29th. Thursday. Beautiful. Thawing.
126
A big snow last night. 9 a.m. went to Dr. Avison's office to attend the meeting of the Committee who had been appointed by the Y. Board of Directors to nominate my successor. All the members agreed that Mr. Cynn is the only available man, but that his unpopularity among the student class is a grave objection. When I hinted that Mr. Cynn would vindicate himself as soon as his book gets out―as Dr. Jaisohn himself endorsed the position which Mr. C. has taken in the book.―Dr. Oh said that Mr. Cynn had already told the Japanese authorities here about the book, thus intimating that Cynn is playing a two sided game! The Committee decided to take more time in considering the question―an evasion which I take to be a decision against nominating Mr. Cynn for the position. The faculty of discerning and criticizing the faults of our neighbors is developed to an abnormal degree among us!
127
8 p.m. the members of the Y. staff gave Mr. and Mrs. Ryank a reception. A beautiful pocket book was given me.
129
30th. Friday. Beautiful. Mild.
130
Baby and mother doing well.
131
After dark Mr. 金貞植 came in great distress and said that the 滿洲實業株式會社 in which he is vitally interested lacks just ￥13,000.00 for getting the necessary official sanction; that 吳尙殷 who is one of the main stockholders desires to borrow that sum on the security of a 韓一銀行小口預金通 where he has ￥13,000.00 or more deposited out which can draw out only after the official sanction is secured; and that, if I could accommodate them by loaning them that amount, they would surely return it inside of a week. Out of my consideration for the interest of Mr. 金, I consented to do so.
133
31st. Saturday. Cloudy thawing. Mild.
134
This morning 金貞植 came and after securing certain documents which I thought reasonable reliable I advanced the sum of ￥13,000.00 to the 滿洲實業株式會社. About 6 p.m. called on 洪正求, the son of 洪忠鉉, asked about the security of a 預金通帳. He told me that it is very risky to take deposit books for security and that friend has been committed on simple people by rescals with doctored deposit certificates etc. I was thunder struck. To mix sentiment (of pity or of charity) with or in, a matter of business transaction is surely a sign of imbecility.
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