Directory_and_Chronicle_1932 — Page 413

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and commerce. Although China assented to this and to subsequent treaties with other foreign powers (with America, 1882; with Britain, 1883; with Ger- many and Russia, 1884, etc.), thus acknowledging Chosen's complete indepen- dence, she nevertheless continued inconsistently to claim suzerainty. Con- şiderable intrigues were centred round the Corean throne, and there were frequent clashes between Chinese soldiery and Japanese residents. The Tien- tsin Treaty of 1885 provided that both Japanese and Chinese should withdraw their troops from Corean soil, nor should either party in future despatch troops there without notifying the other. It was China's ignoring the terms of this treaty in 1894 when appealed to by the Corean Government for help against the Tonghak rebellion, and the subsequent counterface of Corea to- wards Japan asking for help to expel the Chinese, that led to the Sino-Japanese War. The next phase saw Russian influence to the fore and in 1904 came the Russo-Japanese War, as a result of which Russia was forced to acknow- ledge Japan's paramount interest in Corea. The internal administration of Corea being notoriously corrupt, Japan established a protectorate over Corea by a treaty (Nov. 1905), when the great statesman Prince Ito was appointed Resident-General. More and more power passed into Japanese hands, and after the successive assassinations of Mr. Stevens, the American diplomatic adviser appointed by Japanese nomination, at San Francisco, of Prince Ito himself at Harbin in October, 1909. and of Mr. Yi, the Corean premier, the Japanese decided that the protectorate plan would not work, and on August 22nd, 1910, was signed the treaty by which Corea was annexed to Japan. The Corean Imperial family were given Japanesc titles of Royalty and suitable allowances, and the Government General was set up in Seoul. During 1918-19 there was a widespread movement amongst the Coreans to recover their in- dependence, and a deputation proceeded to Paris to place their claim before the Peace Conference, but arrived too late. The methods adopted by the Japanese to suppress the insurrections that broke out were subjected to grave criticism for their alleged brutality and severity, though the authorities did their best to suppress all information of a damaging nature: but since then the former militaristic policy has been largely abandoned, and the system of gendarmes for the most place replaced by a civilian police force.

The task before Japan when she took over the reins of government was no mean one, but she tackled it with characteristic energy, and already much has been achieved. She has established a well-organised judicial system, with trained judges, and the work of codifying laws proceeds apace. By a series of progressive steps, local self-government has now been established. In July, 1920, advisory bodies, in the form of Provincial, Municipal and Urban and Rural District Councils, were created, and in December, 1930, an Ordinance was published transforming, within well-defined limits, these Councils into self-governing bodics. The first elections under the new system for the Muni- eipal and Urban District Councils were held in May, 1931. Reform of the financial administration has received a great deal of attention. In 1919 for the first time no subsidy was needed from the Imperial Government, but in subsequent years owing to various administrative reforms it has been necessary for an Imperial grant to be made, usually of about Yen 15,000,000, which was the sum in 1929. In the sphere of education, following on the establish- ment of elementary schools on Japanese lines throughout the country, consi- derable advance has been made in the development of higher education, cul- minating in the opening of the Imperial University in Seoul in 1928. In the way of communications, much has been done in providing telegraphic and telephonic communication on modern lines, and highways now connect village with village and town with town, the best roads being in the South. A net- work of railways around the country is steadily moving towards completion. First class roads are 24 fect wide, connecting the capital with the provincial governments, second class roads are 18 feet wide, and run between the pro- vincial governments and the ports and prefectural magistracies. The total length of roads at the end of March, 1930, was 15,142 miles (first class, 1,989; second class, 5,870; third class-including mere cart-tracks-7,283). The total