A DANGEROUS MISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1986, 23 January 1907, Page 3

A DANGEROUS MISSION.

Reference was made in these columns the othor day to the violent methods with which Japan is credited in the East in obtaining control over Korea. Since then an interesting account has come to baud of Mr. Douglas Story’s visit to Seoul at the be ginning- of last year, and the state of bondage to which, according to this well-known correspondent, the Japanese had reduced the unfortunate Emperor. The palace was a hot-bed of spies, and the Emperor, mindful of the fate of the Empress ten years before, lived in daily fear of assassination. His friends were prohibited from seeing him, and subjects with the hereditary right of audience were forbidden by Japanese guards to enter the palace. The first message Mr. Story received from the Emperor was a piteous appeal to be saved from assassination. Watched day and night by the most elfieiont secret service in the world, Mr. Story found it very difficult to get into touch with the Emperor, blit eventually managed it through the agency of an attendant on the fallen ruler. The Emperor surreptitiously composed an appeal to the outside world, which for days he carried in the leg of his trousers, taking it out at night and discussing it with the only man who had access to him. Some of the Ministers were consulted through the same medium. 11l the meantime the correspondent was prowling around Seoul, outwitting the spies, and learning much about the true state of Korean affairs. At four one morning he was aroused by bis palace messenger and banded the Emperor’s letter. This stated that the Emperor did not sign or agree to the treaty of November, 1905, that he objected to its details, and that Japan’s assumption of the control of Korean internal affairs had never been authorised by him. Finally be appealed to the Great Rowers to exercise a joint protectorate over Korea for five years with respect ~.toforeign affairs. Jlr. .Httir«- —K visited a frit)*'d ; j «*« *o»cc , showed him a letter, : r. nud a copy made before witnesses. When lie returned he found that his despatch-bag had been broken open and ransacked. That night, as he rode through the city gat'e with the American Concul-General, a rifle was fired from the darkness, and a bullet whizzed past his ear. For six days the departure of the steamer was delayed on various protests, until the captain defied orders from Seoul, and went off. At Cheefoo Mr. Storv completed his mission by showing the letter to the British Consul-General.

•: . FRASERTOWN. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Mr J. M. McMillan, district roail engineer, lias been bore, and pegged off tho site for tho Frnsortown bridge. It is understood that tenders are to bo called for tho work shortly. At the inquest on To Hakn Wheimanui, tho Tuhoi chief, whoso sudden death, at Waikaromqana I referred to in my last, it transpired that a horso ho was loading broko away, and that tho rope, been mo entangled round and tore off his thumb at the first joint. Cobwebs woro applied to the wound by the other natives, but no proper medical aid was obtained. Tho result of litis primitive treatment, was that blood poisoning sot in—the microbes in tlio cobwebs, no doubt finding- tlioir now surroundings congenial, and shortly before tho unfortunate man died,, lockjaw supervened. Tho fine timber resources of the Mangaono Valley are not to ho left undeveloped. A sawmill is to be established thero shortly by Messrs Sloan and Young, who, estimate that there is enough valuable timber in the bush to keep mill going for some years. Tho Mangapoiki-Frasertown road, for which the settlors in the Mangapoiki Valley have been agitating for years, and which will open up a fine extont of pastoral country, is to be commoncod shortly. Tho County Council at its last mooting decided to spend £2OO on fcho sand hills portion of tho Wairoa Nuliaka road. Tho contract of S. West, £B4, for tho Waikokopu deviation was also accepted. The Mohaka races took place on Wednesday, 16th inst., in fine weather. Tlio course, owing to the recent rains, was in splendid order.,. There was a largo gathering of both Europeans and natives from all tlio surrounding districts. Taking it all together the meeting was one of the most successful over hold thero.

Tho Saturday Review holds that “on tho whole tho English sportsman who lias gone out to Africa with his pocket full of inbnoy, and liis one idea tho excitement of t'lvo chase, has deserved ill of tho Empire.” Much of tho game (it says) has no doubt gone down, inevitably, before- tho settlor and tlio spread of civilisation, but vast numbers of animals have been killed in and out of season without the smallest service to the nation. SVe believe in sport, but it must bo moderated by a full sense of responsibility. The liieio insensate pursuit of horns and heads is quite abominable, and wo are sorry to say that many big-game parties have been organised by young men who in this matter have about as much sense of duty to tlieir country as have the gamo they pursue. Their ono idea has been to pile up a triumphant total of “kills.” This is a hard, distasteful thing to say, but it ’is impossible to read these records of wholesale waste and selfishness without rage against the wanton culprits. They have erred largely through ignorance—yes, but is such ignorance quite pardonable in men who have had all the advantages of education? We remember Stanley blazing out against this careless slaughter without check of the noble life of African plain and forest. In this question ho did a public service by his angry reproach.