800
K
ANA S
དོ་
2
J
د باد
TABEÇA MAAT
+234
די
2.
I took the opportunity of an interview two days ago
the Winister for Foreign affairs to tell him what Kr. Soltan
related to me and I asked him when we might expect to hear of
• real improvement in the lot of the inhabitants of the unfor-
ate peninsula.
Viscount Uchida replied that it was impossible for re-
a of practices which had grown up in the course of many years
he inaugurated in a day and that the new administration must
given time to investigate and determine what was practicable.
alterations had already been introduced into educational and
ial methods and by degress conditions would improve. I said
at no one doubted the good intentions of the Japanese Govern-
ht, but it was difficult to understand why in the meantime such
arous practices as torture and flogging could not be stopped
stroke of the pen. His Excellency assured me that the Gov-
ent were most anxious to prevent abuses but repeated the ar-
ent that arrangements must first be made for replacing the
sent rathods of punishment by others before these could be
ped. Finding that the Minister was not anxious to pursue the
Ster, I asked the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs the next
20
whether I might discuss it with the Head of the Political
partment who was in charge of Corean affairs. This was readily
reed to and yesterday I had a long conversation with 'r. Yoshi-
s on the subject.
I related all that r. soltan had told me and what I
said to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and I asked him to
eat it to r, Midzuno, who is still in Tokyo. I represented to
the horror with which the world regarded the perpetuation of
ch barbarity as torture, which savoured of the dark ages, and
Fested that Mr. Midsuno should be asked why it should require
all
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