the Empire, only to bring on themselves the derision of the Powers for their indulgence in unbridled imagination in seizing upon the watchword ‘self-determination of races’ which is utterly irrelevant to Chosen, and in committing themselves to thoughtless act and language.  The Government are now doing their utmost to put an end to such unruly behaviour and will relentlessly punish anybody daring to commit offences against the peace.  The present excitement will soon cease to exist, but it is to be hoped that the people on their part will do their share in restoring quiet by rightly guarding their wards and neighbours so as to save them from any offence committing a severe penalty."[1]

     [Footnote 1:  Quoted from the Seoul Press.]

The new era of relentless severity began by the enactment of various fresh laws.  The regulations for Koreans going from or coming into their country were made more rigid.  The Regulations Concerning Visitors and Residents had already been revised in mid-March.  Under these, any person who, even as a non-commercial act, allowed a foreigner to stay in his or her house for a night or more must hereafter at once report the fact to the police or gendarmes.  A fresh ordinance against agitators was published in the Official Gazette.  It provided that anybody interfering or attempting to interfere in the preservation of peace and order with a view to bringing about political change would be punished by penal servitude or imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years.  The ordinance would apply to offences committed by subjects of the Empire committed outside its domains, and it was specially emphasized in the explanations of the new law given out that it would apply to foreigners as well as Japanese or Koreans.

The Government-General introduced a new principle, generally regarded by jurists of all lands as unjust and indefensible.  They made the law retroactive.  People who were found guilty of this offence, their acts being committed before the new law came into force, were to be sentenced under it, and not under the much milder old law.  This was done.

The Koreans were quickly to learn what the new military regime meant.  One of the first examples was at Cheamni, a village some miles from Suigen, on the Seoul-Fusan Railway.  Various rumours reached Seoul that this place had been destroyed, and a party of Americans, including Mr. Curtice of the Consulate, Mr. Underwood, son of the famous missionary pioneer, and himself a missionary and a correspondent of the Japan Advertiser, went to investigate.  After considerable enquiry they reached a place which had been a village of forty houses.  They found only four or five standing.  All the rest were smoking ruins.