66

cially official Washington-that she must have Korea in order to preserve peace in the Far East. Japan began and carried through this whole matter," said Homer B. Hulbert, an American educator and for some time political adviser to the Korean Emperor, "by clever use of misinformation and broken promises, which successfully hoodwinked the American public.'

99 20

The first obvious step taken by the United States in handing Korea over to Japan was at the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, when Japan violated Korean neutrality and exacted certain concessions from the Korean Government under "military necessity." The Secretary of State, John Hay, instructed the American minister at Seoul, Horace N. Allen, to observe strict neutrality and not cable the text of any agreement that Korea and Japan might come to." This was undoubtedly done to avoid recognition of Korea's appeal against Japanese aggressions.

The next move the United States made to aid Japan in this game of Oriental politics was the recall of Dr. Allen from Korea. Dr. Allen had stayed in Korea over twenty years and was highly esteemed by both the natives and for

10 Homer B. Hulbert, "The Passing of Korea," p. 462. "Cablegram sent from Washington, Feb. 23, 1904; recorded in Senate Document, No. 342 p. 11, 64th Congress, Ist Session.

eigners. When the Japanese began to tighten their grip in the peninsula, he told his government a few unpalatable truths about what the Japanese were doing in Korea. Immediately subtle influences were put in operation at Washington intimating that Minister Allen was a persona non grata to the Japanese. As a result. Dr. Allen, despite his unquestioned integrity and long years of loyal service to his government, was summarily recalled, to the great surprise and indignation of American communities in Korea.

12

When hostilities began between Russia and Japan, America was officially neutral, but her sympathies were with Japan. There were three possible reasons for this: (1) Japan through her publicity propaganda created a favourable opinion of herself in America; (2) Japan borrowed vast sums of money from America for war purposes, and Japanese success was naturally wished for by American capitalists; (3) at the beginning of the war Japan was thought of by the outside world as an "under-dog" trying to get loose from the brutal clutch of the Russian Bear. An incident which happened at Chemulpo Harbour immediately preceding the naval encounter of the two belligerents fur

"For various methods of controlling American public opinion by Japan in regard to Japanese affairs, see Part II, "Japan's Control of Publicity." See also Flowers, "Japanese Conquest of American Opinion."

nishes an illuminating illustration of American attitude toward the three nations directly concerned in the war,-Japan, Russia, and Korea.

On February 9, 1904, Admiral Uriu, the commander of the Japanese fleet, sent an ultimatum to the captain of the Variag, the Russian warship lying in the harbour of Chemulpo, that he would give the Russian ships until twelve o'clock to leave the harbour, and if they had not moved by four o'clock that afternoon, the Japanese fleet would come in and sink them at their anchorage-in a neutral port of a neutral country.

There were at that time in the harbour four other foreign war-ships: the Talbot (British), the Elba (Italian), the Pascal (French), and the Vicksburg (American). The commander of the British war-ship, notwithstanding the fact that Great Britain was an ally of Japan, was indignant at the insolence of the Japanese Admiral, and invited the commanders of the other foreign ships to a conference on board the Talbot to decide what action should be taken. "The British, French, and Italian commanders at once decided that Admiral Uriu was proposing to commit a gross breach of international law, and they unanimously resolved to give the Russian ships whatever protection they could. A message was sent to the commander of the Variag informing him of this determination, and ad

vising him to refuse to leave the harbour." But the captain of the Vicksburg explained to the other commanders that he had received explicit instructions from his government to remain strictly neutral in the coming event. And the American war-ship Vicksburg, with its proud name, skulked into the inner harbour of safety. The Russian naval officers keenly resented this action of the Vicksburg, and the Russian press made bitter references to this incident as well as to the generally pro-Japanese tendency in America at that time as a breach of the historic friendship between America and Russia."

At the time of the Portsmouth Conference between Russia and Japan, July, 1905, the Koreans in Hawaii sent their two delegates, Syngman Rhee and P. K. Yoon, to present a petition to President Roosevelt, asking that he "see to it that Korea may preserve her autonomous government.' The delegates were received unofficially, and their petition was given a sympathetic consideration. But this did not

99 15

"For full discussion of this incident, see Millard, “The New Far East," chap. V.

"Ever since the birth of the American nation, there has been no serious friction of any kind between the United States and Russia. During the Civil War the Russian fleet anchored outside the New York Harbour. It was generally understood, although not officially stated, that in case England and France took sides with the South, Russia would intervene on behalf of the North. Thus the Russian fleet gave no small moral support to the cause of the Union.

15

See full text of the petition, Part III, I.

change the President's settled policy toward Korea. When the Emperor of Korea sent Homer B. Hulbert to present his letter to President Roosevelt asking for aid against Japan's aggression, Mr. Hulbert was refused an interview by both the President and Secretary of State Root on one excuse after another until it was too late." "So far from pleading the case of Korea with Japan, America was the first to fall in with and give its open assent to the destruction of the old administration. On the first intimation from Japan it agreed, without inquiry and with almost indecent haste, to withdraw its minister from Seoul." "

When the United States declared neutrality at the beginning of the recent European war, the very men who ignored treaty obligations and handed over, as far as America was concerned, the "Belgium of the East" to Japan, Theodore Roosevelt and Elihu Root, were the loudest in denouncing the Wilson Administration for not going to war against Germany in defense of Belgian neutrality. There was no treaty binding upon the United States to defend Belgium against the unrighteous aggressor as in the case of Korea. The Democratic President and Congress retaliated by publishing the ac

16

For a full description of Hulbert's mission, see Part III, J, "American Policy in the Cases of Korea and Belgium."

"F. A. McKenzie, "Tragedy of Korea," p. 131.