especially from the blows from one of the men’s rifles.  Complaint was made to the chief authorities, and, in this case, the Japanese promised to punish the officer concerned.  But there were dozens of instances affecting Europeans of all ranks, from consular officials to chance visitors.  In most cases the complaints were met by a simple denial on the part of the Japanese.  Even where the offence was admitted and punishment was promised, the Europeans would assure you that the men, whom it had been promised to imprison, came and paraded themselves outside their houses immediately afterwards in triumph.  In Korea, as in Formosa, the policy was and is to humiliate the white man by any means and in any way.

Two regulations of the Japanese, apparently framed in the interests of the Koreans, proved to be a dangerous blow at their rights.  New land laws were drawn up, by which fresh title-deeds were given for the old and complicated deeds of former times.  As the Koreans, however, pointed out, large numbers of people held their land in such a way that it was impossible for them to prove their right by written deeds.  Until the end of 1905 large numbers of Koreans went abroad to Honolulu and elsewhere as labourers.  The Residency-General then framed new emigration laws, nominally to protect the natives, which have had the result of making the old systematic emigration impossible.  Families who would fain have escaped the Japanese rule and establish themselves in other lands had every possible hindrance put in their way.

Act after act revealed that the Japanese considered Korea and all in it belonged to them.  Did they want a thing?  Then let them take it, and woe be to the man who dared to hinder them!  This attitude was illustrated in an interesting fashion by a bit of vandalism on the part of Viscount Tanaka, Special Envoy from the Mikado to the Korean Emperor.  When the Viscount was in Seoul, late in 1906, he was approached by a Japanese curio-dealer, who pointed out to him that there was a very famous old Pagoda in the district of P’ung-duk, a short distance from Song-do.  This Pagoda was presented to Korea by the Chinese Imperial Court a thousand years ago, and the people believed that the stones of which it was constructed possessed great curative qualities.  They named it the “Medicine King Pagoda” (Yakwang Top), and its fame was known throughout the country.  It was a national memorial as much as the Monument near London Bridge is a national memorial for Englishmen or the Statue of Liberty for Americans.  Viscount Tanaka is a great curio-collector, and when he heard of this Pagoda, he longed for it.  He mentioned his desire to the Korean Minister for the Imperial Household, and the Minister told him to take it if he wanted it.  A few days afterwards, Viscount Tanaka, when bidding the Emperor farewell, thanked him for the gift.  The Korean Emperor looked blank, and said that he did not know what the Viscount was talking about.  He had heard nothing of it.