KOREAN FUNERAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1926, Page 3

KOREAN FUNERAL.

REVOLT AND STRIKE, [Reuter Telegrams.] (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.) TOKIO, June 12. In anticipatioir-of a serious uprising on the occasion of the funeral of the ox-Emperor of Korea, the police at Seoul raided the headquarters of the malcontents and seized documents affording proof that funds were supplied from VI ad i vos took, headquarters of the Third Internationale for the purpose of fermenting a communistic demonstration and revolt during the funeral, Many thousands of Koreans from all parts of Korea and Japan flocked to Seoul. The police arc strongly reinforced, three thousand guarding the route of the funeral. Many of the malcontents wens gaoled as a result of police raids, hut only the leaders were kept in prison. The funeral was the largest ever seen in the Orient, more than 30,000 walking in the procession. The coffin was enclosed in a lingo wooden panoply, carried on the shoulders of two thousand pall bearers. The coffin was followed hy Viscount Matsura, representing the Japanese Emperor, then the Prince and Princess followed by representatives of Tokio diplmatics, 'then thousands of visitors and professional weepers. Over a quarter of a million visitors entered tlie city. The procession when nearing till? funeral place was thrown into confusion by a body of students attempting to distribute inflammatory literature. The students were arrested, but Koreans Uining the route took tip the shouts, adding to the disturbance.

During the procession the whole of tho pall-bearers struck, alleging they bad been ill-treated, and abandoning the catafalque on the road two miles from the grave. Coolies were hastily despatched from Seoul to replace the strikers, while the cortege awaited.