This is what the Scout Independent has to say upon Coreun administration during the last few mantis The reports which we print from day to day in the Independent relative to the disturbances in the interior must sooner or later have their effect on the minds of those who sneer at what they call the Supineness of the present Government. We are quite willing to confess that along certain. lines considerable timidity ig manifested. One has but to review in }iis mind the events of the last two years Here to seo the cause of this Outsiders Hat his Majesty is still at the Russian siruply from the one, point—namely, Tpgation, and they can believe that Hothing is being done so long as he is there. Now it might be well to recall a few of. the things that have been done since his Majesty succeeded in eluding iis captors at the palace.
In the first place there has been a constant and powerful effort made to quell the disturbances in the country. As we have pointed out before, the insurgents are not after revenge but loot, and that makes the difficulty all the greater. It can only be put down by keeping soldiers on the lod out for gangs of these thieves and inflicting severe punishment when they are caught. jvoner or later it will be found to be an unprofitable business and fellows will quit. Great activity is being displayed by the Government in attending to this matter.
Again, the Finance Department has been qjut in practical charge of a foreigner whose business capacity and whose disinterestedness are above question. No one hereafter! ¥fill be able to impose on the Government inthe matter of goods'to be sold or work to be done. These expenditures are all under the eye of a man who would soon detect the fraud. One needs to know something' of the history of the past teri years: 1 in Corea in order rightly to comprehend the value-of this move on the part of the Government.
'Again, the pay department of the Army has been put in charge of a foreigner who knows how valuable a well paid Army is and how dangerous. a poorly paid one is. Evils which have arisen heretofore' are illustrated by a case which happened the other day. On pay day some of the'soldiers of a certain company were absent and one of the officers suggested that he would take the money and have it given to the absent men." He was told that the money would stay right there at the otice till the soldiers came for it in person, for they would be sure to come. Right there" is good American.)
Tu addition to this, arrangements been made for the construction of road between Seoul and Chemulpo, the widening and improving the streets of Seoul has been decided upon, a school for tiv, study of the Russian language has Tiegn' projected, the printing bureau has been-fitted out with new type and machinery and put in creditable shape—in fact, the Inst. three months. have seen more real progress made in various directions than the whole previous ten years could show. That there is still more or less fear of personal danger ix not to be wondered at, That there would not. be, personal danger to his. Majesty in returning to the palace now is by no means sure, although such a move would undoubtedly go far towaid quieting the minds of the people both in the country and in Seoul.
We would sum up the work ofthe last three months then as follo Vigorous work on the part of the Army detachments in the country; the rehabilitation of the Financial Department; the cleaning out of the pay department of the Army the contract for a Seoul-Chemulpo railroad the founding of a school; the important work of street repairs; the refitting of the printing bureau.
The man who calls this standing still must be an Ameri "hustler" from Nebraska. lo.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.