Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 29, 1898. Corea.

Manawatu Herald, 29 November 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 29, 1898. Corea.

" Political riots have occurred at Seoul. The Oorean government ha< invited Japan to restore order" is an expected and latest cablegram from bat ptrt of the world. The Corean peninsula ia inhabited by members f the Mongolian raca and until thp Japanese-Chiuese war, wa3 con■idtTOfl to be subject to a rather inds-finne suzerainty on the part of CbKja, and was accustom: ; d to send mnoal tribute missions to Peking. By ihe treaty with China Cort-a was declared independent and Japan en forced all ht-r demand;!, possessed herself of Corea, and regulated its internal administration. Tha finan w93 of the country have been placed on a sound footing. The people are : all, robust nnd good-looking, but Mve idle and unprogvessiv. 1 , so that ihe commerce of thi> country is fall•ng into the hands of the Japanese The country abounds in gold, copper, coal, and iron, nnd an American syndicate has secured a concession to work the gold-mines in the neigh bourhood of Ping- Yung. The soil is very fertile but i* only partially cultivated. The peninsula possesses several good natural harbours. Off its southern coast ia the island of Port, Hamilton, which was occupied by Great Britain in 1885, but subsequently evacuated, China at the time guaranteeing that it should not be occupied by any other Power, and Russia undertaking not to occupy Corean territory under any circum stance.?. Times have changed as in 1896 Russia and Japan by a treaty have virtually taken Corea under iheir joint control. " They both recognise C'orea as an independent state, and declare their readiness jointly to guarantee foreign loans, in ■irder that an army and police force for the maintenance of internal order may be organised. Japan will be permitted to keep in the country 200 gendarmes for the protection of her telegraph lines, and three military detachments for the protection of her settlements of Seul, Fusan, >md Geusan. Russia is to be permitted to maintain military detach incuts of tha same strength for tue protection of the Russian legation and consulate. These troops are to be withdrawn as soon as order ha.been completely maintained. Another, item of Dews to bo read in conjunc lion with the political riots is iha> the Russian garrison at Port Arthur, which is not many miles from the Corean boundary, has bnen brought to the strpng:h of 50.000. No doubt nf j w-5 will soon Ci>ni3 along lhat Russia is more th m ready to assist in quelling the disturbance, thai Japan fcms bn-n invited to do, the origin of which Russia may not be Wholly innocent of. This is an old plan of hers to get a strong footing in a country she desires to possess.