Directory_and_Chronicle_1915 — Page 725

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treaty of friendship and commerce was signed by the Corean Government at Jenchuan (Chemulpo) with Commodore Shufeldt on behalf of the United States. A Treaty with England was signed by Sir Harry Parkes on the 26th November, 1883; in 1884 treaties were also concluded with Germany and Russia, and later with France, Italy, and Austria. The population of Corea is estimated to be between 12,000,000 and 14,000,000. The foreign population in June, 1909, exclusive of Japanese, who numbered over 144,800, was, according to official statistics, 13,062, of whom 12,332 were Chinese and 153 British. The latter are mostly missionaries. One small English newspaper, the Seoul Press (conducted by Japanese), is published in Seoul.

The industries of Corea are mainly agricultural. The foreign trade of the country has shown steady development under the fostering care of the Japanese. In 1904, the total value of the country's foreign trade was yen 34,933,306. In 1913 the value was yen 102,459,191-exports yen 30,878,944, and imports yen 71,580,247. Japan naturally does the bulk of the trade, her share in 1913 being 56 5 per cent. of the imports and 820 per cent. of the exports. China comes next with 136 per cent. of imports, and 13'5 per cent. of experts. It should here be mentioned that in annexing Corea, Japan engaged for a period of ten years not to interfere in any way with the commercial rights enjoyed by foreigners in the peninsula under the old regime. The old customs tariff is to be maintained for the period named, to be applied indiscriminately to foreign aud Japanese goods alike. The port of Masampo has been closed to foreign trade, but the others— Chemulpo, Fusan, Wonsan, Chinampo, Kunsan, Mokpo, Songchin, Shimoyu and Chongchin-continue to be open ports. The jurisdiction of Consular Courts was abolished under the proclamation of annexation, and foreigners are therefore now amenable to the Japanese courts, as they are in Japan proper.

The principal articles of import are cotton manufactures, and of export, rice, beans hides and live stock. There is a considerable paper-making industry, which is entirely in the hands of the peasantry, its great drawback being lack of capital. Gold mining has in recent years become an important industry, the value of the output ap- proaching half a million pounds sterling per annum. There are several gold mines now being worked by British, American, French and Italian syndicates. A number of placer and other mines are worked by natives on a small scale and by Japanese. The total number of mining concessions (for mining proper and placer mining), between the passing of a mining law in September, 1906, and December, 1912, was 914-646 being for mining proper and 278 for placer mining. Anthracite coal is mined by the Govern- ment at Pyngyong. The largest of the enterprises at present is the Unsan mine operated by an American syndicate known as the Oriental Consolidated Mining Co. Its annual output is over 2,000,000 yen. Nearly 3,000 hands are employed, and the Company pays to the Government an annual royalty of yen 25,000; the British concession, worked by the Korean syndicate, is in the Su-an district of Hu-wang province. In 1912 its output of gold was worth 1,096,000 yen, in addition to which silver and copper valued at 140,000 yen was won. French and the Italian concessions are in the province of Pyong-an. The Collbran-Bostwick Development Co. of America has the most important copper mine, situated in the southern part of Ham-Kyung province.

A brighter era dawned for trade and commerce and much else in Corea when the agreement of 1904 was negotiated, giving to Japan virtual control of the administration. Japan lost no time in exercising the power she had acquired. The reform of the effete, incompetent and corrupt administration which had for centuries been in vogue in Corea was a task of no little magnitude. The old order of things cannot be changed in a day, or a decade, but a most promising commencement has been made during the six years Japan has had the direction of the country's internal affairs. She has set to work organising, as among the first essentials of good government, a judicial system which will guarantee the honest and impartial administration of justice by trained judges. A beginning has also been made with the codification of the laws of the country. Gradually the system of local administration is being reformed in a manuer which will eliminate old political abuses and lead up ultimately to a system of local autonomy, Reform of the financial administration has received a great deal of attention with excellent results, and among other branches of administration which have been already inoculated with the leaven of reform are the Educational and the Police systems. Public works undertaken include the construction of four main roads traversing some of the most productive regions of the country, waterworks are being provided by the Gov- ernment at Chemulpo and Pyeng-yang, while at Seoul, and one or two other centres, the Government has established hospitals for the sick.

The initiation of all these undertakings involved the expenditure of a large sum of money, which the depleted Corean exchequer could not provide, and recourse was