He made friends with his guards.  One of them smuggled a little Testament in to him.  From the faint light of the tiny window, he read passage after passage, one of the under-jailers holding the book for him—­since with his bound hands he could not hold it himself—­and another waiting to give warning of the approach of the chief guard.  Man after man in that little cell found God, and the jailer himself was converted.

After seven months of the hell of the inner cell, Rhee was shifted to roomier quarters, where he was allowed more freedom, still, however, carrying chains around his neck and body.  He organized a church in the prison, made up of his own converts.  Then he obtained text-books and started a school.  He did not in the least relax his own principles.  He secretly wrote a book on the spirit of Independence during his imprisonment His old missionary friends sought him out and did what they could for him.

Rhee met plenty of his old friends, for the Conservatives were in the saddle now, and were arresting and imprisoning Progressives at every opportunity.  Among the newcomers was a famous old Korean statesman, Yi Sang-jai, who had formerly been First Secretary to the Korean Legation at Washington.  Yi incurred the Emperor’s displeasure and was thrown into prison.  He entered it strongly anti-Christian; before two years were over he had become a leader of the Christian band.  In due course Yi was released and became Secretary of the Emperor’s Cabinet.  He carried his Christianity out with him, and later on, when he left office, became Religious Work leader of the Seoul Y.M.C.A.  Yi was one of the most loved and honoured men in Korea.  Every one who knew him spoke of him in terms of confidence and praise.

Syngman Rhee was not released from prison until 1904.  He then went to America, graduated at the George Washington University, took M.A. at Harvard, and earned his Ph.D. at Princeton.  He returned to Seoul as an official of the Y.M.C.A., but finding it impossible to settle down under the Japanese regime, went to Honolulu, where he became principal of the Korean School.  A few years later he was chosen first President of the Republic of Korea.

When Russia leased the Liaotung Peninsula from China, after having prevented Japan from retaining it, she threw Korea as a sop to Japan.  A treaty was signed by which both nations recognized the independence of Korea, but Russia definitely recognized the supreme nature of the Japanese enterprises and interests there, and promised not to impede the development of Japan’s commercial and industrial Korean policy.  The Russian military instructors and financial adviser were withdrawn from Seoul.

The Emperor of Korea was still in the hands of the reactionaries.  His Prime Minister and favourite was Yi Yung-ik, the one-time coolie who had rescued the Queen, and was now the man at the right hand of the throne.

After a time Russia repented of her generosity.  She sought to regain control in Korea.  She sent M. Pavloff, an astute and charming statesman, to Seoul, and a series of intrigues began.  Yi Yung-ik sided with the Russians.  The end was war.