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Conference, but arrived too late. Grave complaints were made in the meantime of the severity of the Japanese in suppressing the movement in Corea.

For many centuries the Coreans successfully resisted all efforts to induce them to hold intercourse with foreigners. The King was formerly a vassal of the Emperor of China, and the Emperor of Japan also claimed his allegiance, but by the Treaty of Kokwa, concluded with Japan in 1876, the independence of the country was acknow- ledged, though China, which assented to Corea's conclusion of this and other treaties. with foreign Powers as an independent kingdom, inconsistently continued to claim suzerainty. Upon the establishment of Japanese in the ports of Fusan and Yuensan, the prejudice against foreign intercourse gradually abated, and on the 2nd May, 1882, a 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 total population of Corea, as returned by the Census Board in 1927, was 18,682,817. The number of forcigners was given in 1927 as 51,323, of whom 50,056 were Chinese. Next came Americans (743), British (228), French (79), Germans (71) and Russians (120), etc. One small newspaper written in English but conducted by Japanese, the Seoul Press, 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. Japan natur- ally does the bulk of the trade.

Gold mining has become in recent years an important industry. There are several gold nincs 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. There is a tendency to increase in the output by Japanese operators, for mining is beginning to attract the attention of capitalists of good repute in Japan. The European war stimulated the more extensive undertakings of mining by Japanese capitalists.

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. Japan 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 manner which will eliminate old political abuses and lead up ultimately to a system of local autonomy. A law was passed in August, 1920, for the creation of advisory bodies of three kinds, viz., Provincial Councils, Municipal Councils, and Village Councils. The principle of election has been introduced exccpt in respect of the smaller Village Councils. Reform of the financial administration has received a great deal of attention with excellent results; the Government-General became financially independent for the first time in 1919, no advance being required in that year from the Imperial Government. The administrative reforms carried out that year, however, obliged the Corean Govern- ment to appeal again to the Imperial Government for temporary assistance, which amounted in 1920 to 10 million yen, in 1921 to 16 million yen, and in 1922 to 15 million yen. Among other branches of the administration which have been inoculated with the leaven of reform are the Educational and the Police systeins. The topographical changes that are being brought about in Corea are, perhaps, reforms of the greatest general interest. Fine higliways connecting village with village and town with town are now replacing the bridle patlis and ruts that have always passed for roads in Corea, and railways are gradually spreading out and linking up the chief centres of population throughout the country. First-class roads are 24 feet wide, and include those connecting the capital with the provincial governments; second-class- roads are 18 feet wide, and run between the provincial governments and the ports- and prefectural magistracies. The total length of the roads in the peninsula is over 15,000 miles, the old native roads included, these being now repaired and improved, Waterworks have been provided by the Government at Chemulpo and Pyeng-yang, while at Seoul, and at all other provincial capitals, the Government has established hospitals for the sick.