COREA, We are permitted to make the following extract from a letter dated Seoul, Ist March, 41904, and which was written by a gentlemait who evidently had first-hand informal
active military operations, but the Japanese 7 We are, to be sure, in the midst of do things in such fine' order and comparatively so quietly that there is but little excitement. While they are taking hold of the Corean Government in a radical way and "putting most of the former oiticials out of weir places, it is all done in the ordinary channels and the applause of the Coreun populace rather than their hatred is excited. A sew of the former big men have aecideu w Jeave for their country's good. the man who was "it "—a Dir. Yi long-ik—nad nov ueciied just what to do until a number of Inieuas awong tne Japanese atticers calico on him one evening, just before the last train sett for Gaemuipo, and urged min w poy ist to their country and study the noaern niethods of civilisation. Their words were so iutluentasl that he at last agreed to ao sv, amd found there was a boat ready to leave as soon as he reached Chemulpo. This wus really the most quiet way of pacifying things ere, for Yi Yang-ik is a low-class man, a butcher, who has risen to his position of almost impregnable power, by keenness and u series of wicked acts, which had succeeded in making the whole nation his enemies. Not only are all the common people agains: him, but the high Government officials have a number of times combined and tried to get him out of office, and even kill nim, but even the Emperor could not oust him, for he controlled the army and all the finances of the Government. Now that he has gotten away alive all these people who were thirsting for his blood are enraged and everyone recognises that he has escaped his just reward. 'Che Japanese were wise, however, for if this man were once out of office and' Joose in the country he would be immediately murdered and how many more murders would follow if the people's blood were up is hard to tell.
"We heard the fighting down at Chemulpo the other day and have since been down on business and incidentally, have seen the destroyed men-of-war and the large transport lying in the harbour. the doubtless sive the big cruiser and the transport, for they are half out of water at low tide and are net, s0 far_ injured a be beyond repair. cruiser was in Philadelphia and is a beauty. Many of her guns have been already removed.
"It would surprise you to seo the almost faultless way in which all the business of the Japanese army is conducted. Their soldiers seem to be nothing but soldiers, and the discipline is better than what I have seen in our own army. During the recent cold weather Chemulpo and Seoul were crowded full of troops who were being landed at the rate of about six transports per day The method of removing them from the boats was interesting and exciting. They were required to anchor about a mile and 2 half outside and transfer to lighters. There rare four piers built of pontoons running oat into the stream from the Chemalpo jetty. The flow of the tide is very strong here and as a Little tug would come up witl its Tong string of lighters behind they would have been dashed to splinters against the piers had they not cast loose and each one made its own way by means of rowers to the pier where it was to unload. Part of the wen were pushed right on for Seoul vid rail and pare were lodged in the homes of the Japanese in Chemulpo. These two places have been crowded with soldiers. In Seoul the Corean soldiers have given large number of their barracks to the Japanese and the Government buildings are many of them filled with the troops. Not only has the Corean Emperor been good enough to render these courtesies but he is also feasting the army and subscribing to relief funds, ete., etc."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.