Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, May 30, 1909, Page 16

GENERAL HASEGAWA, “THE M AILED FIST OF THE MIKADO.” (Copyright, 100, by Frank G. Carpenter.) BOUL, 1909.—(Special Correspond- ence of The Bee)—Have you ever heard of Yong-san? 1t is a great city in its begin- ning. Thousands of workmen are now bullding it and structures being erected will, when completed, cost milions. It has one palatial residence which will be finer than any other building in the fur east, outside of that of the crown prince of Japan. It will cost 500,00 yen, and it could not be bullt for that many dollars on United States soil. This will be the home of the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army In Korea, and it will be cquipped for grand entertainments of every description. It will have fifty-six rooms. Its dining tables will seat 300 guests at one time and its dancing hall will accommo- date & crowd of 90. Yong-san I8 to be the military capital of Korea, and adjoining 1t 1s a large territory which will be devoted to the rallway officials and other such men. Altogether the settlement will form the nucleus of A great Japanese city, which will extead toward and embrace Seoul, which is now two miles away. P i The Tokyo of Korea. It was to see Yong-san and to have an Interview with General Hasegawa, the com- mander-in-chief of the Japanese forces in Korea, that I rode in company with Mr. Takouma Kouroda out from Seoul in my finriksha this afternoon. Our way was through the wide street which leads to (he ate known as Nandaimon, a mighty struc- ture of stone, with two heavy roofs of black tile, one above the other, each deco- rated with demons. The crowd was thick all the way to the gate, ¥nd there we had 10 turn and make our way around at the wide, the gate belng now too small to ae- commodate the traffic. The wall of Scoul, which extends clear around the city, and which, until lately, was closed every nizht by great doors plated with ir has hao to be cut at this point, and two wide roads made at each side These go right through the wal', and the gate its*lf has been bullt about with granite so that It stands there 1% 2 bemutiful monument. It has gorgeous siectrie lamps at each entrance, both in snd outside the city, and it Is & fit mark of the unfon of the past and the present. A few years ago the only bulldings bevond this gate were scattered thatched huts hugging the wall ow, the wide rogd which has been made from there to the River Han is lined for a mile with panese and Corean bulldings, and there Are many reign structures as well, The Corean electric street car line, belonging to an American firm, has a regular serv- fee, which takes one to the Han, which is about three miles away. And not far from the gate Is the chief raliroad depot of Seoul, at which one can get cars for Chemulpo to take ship for China, or go on the trunk line about 300 miles north to the edge of Manchuria, or by an equal dls- tance south to Fusan, where a night's ferry over the Strait of Corea will put you in Japan We passed many soldiers on our way down this road. There were cavalry on horseback crowding the Corean traffic off to the side, and now and then a company of Infantry, dusty and tired by their long march from the interior. We went by scores of bullocks loaded with fuel, great bundles of overgreen branches, & half ton in welght, which rose high over their heads and hung down at the sides almost to their feet. We passed carts of lumber, the boards tled up In strings, and bullocks drawing all sorts of bullding materials. There were many women, both Japanese and Coreans, and gorgeous hatted yvang- bans or Corean nobles, on foot. I remem- ber one who dashed by me riding & bie cle. His long pink gown floated out on the alr, his black hat wobbled and his fat feet of padded cotton went up and down on the pedals. Military Concession. Jap We went fully two miles before we reached the limits of the military conc slon. Here the street car line branches off and goes on under the railroad to the vight, making its way down to the river. The wide roads leads stralght pn through the new city. At the right is a large drill ground where several regiments of troops could exercise at one time, and above it are hills spotted with grave mounds o thick (hat they seem to be sown and grown as & crop. From here on for several miles on both sides of the road all the land has been granted to the Japanese. The area covers thousands of acres, and 1t Is some of the most valuable land In the vicinity of Seoul. It originally bolonged to the emperor, but he sold it to the Japanese for less than 30,00 goid dollars. The sale has been much criti- clsed by the Koreans, who clalm that the ground was worth seviral milllons and that the sale was a forced one. Never- theless the Japancse government has now & clear Utle to it, And is exploiting It la much the same way that the Russians built thelr new town of Dalny at the end of the Manchurian raflread, which is now owned by the Japanese. In the shuffling of the international cards for the stake of Korea there ts & bare possibility that at some time in the far future Yong-san may bo one of the prizes which will go into the hands of Russia taking the place that Dalny has now In the hands of Japan. At the preesnt Yong-san ls about the livellest Japanese spot in Korea. A great deal of grading is being done. Korean laborers, under the direction of Japanese overseers, are cutting down the hills and leveling the valley. They are putting up dirt walls about some of the big build- ings, which look almost like fortifications. They are making dralns and digging foundations, A system of water works has been put n which supplles the mili- tary city with pure water from the moun- tains nearby, and wide streets, crossing one another at right angles, have been 1aid out, covering almost the whole ter- ritory. Roughly speaking, I should say there is room on the site for several hun- dred thousand people, and it is belleved that all the ground not Aevoted to the military establishment wifl be taken up with Japanese bulldings it Japan’s New Barracks, ‘The new barracks now going up, many of which are already completed, show that the Japanese Intend ta keep & large mili- tary establishment In Korea for a long time to come. They now have 2,000 men in different parts of the peninsula, and THE OMAHA several thousand of thesa are here Seoul. There are a score or more great two-story brick structures alre erected, which are now occupled by men, and there are similar buildings the subordinate headquarters filled in of ady the for with offices and barracks for non-commissioned officers in every branch of the service, 1 doubt If Uncle Sam houses his troops anything like as well as the mikado does these young Japanese, The barracks are as substantially bullt as any structures in the United States. They are well signed and well lighted, and every de- man has the right amount of alr space. They wre heated by Russian stoves which bullt up In the corner of each room. are The soldlers sleep on spring beds, they take hot baths once a day and their food carefully prepared. 1s During my stay I went through the Kit- ens of some of the establishments. It was about time for dinner, and great tubs of steaming rice had just been taken from the fire, while fried fish and vege- tables were being ladled out on the plates of polished aluminum. In order to make the camp equipment as light as possible all the dishes used by the men wre of this metal, the rice for each 'being served in an aluminum box of about the size of that which holds 100 cigars. Each man gets such a box of rice at every meal and a fixed supply of fish, vegetables and sauce, which s varied in character from day to day. The food was put up in such por- tions on trays, each of which carrled twenty-four plates and rice boxes, these trays were carried by men to and the dormitories nearby. All of the Japanese soldlers now wear Buropean shoes. 1 judge they still find them uncomfortable, however, for T noticed at the entrance to each barracks great rows of these shoes outside in the halls, and that the men, as as they jumped from thelr couches and stood at attention as I pas: with their colonel, were in their stocking feet. cnmidfpnis Homes for Officers. The barracks I have referred to are bullt around a great parade grounds, at one side of which is an office bullding, where I was presented to the commanding general of the division. This bullding must cover a quarter of an acre, and It was filled with clerks who were working away, Up MILITARY OFFICES AT YONGSAN. another street many other large brick buildings are rapidly rising, and on the sidgs of the hills, overlooking this magnifi- cant country, arc long lines of cottages, built in Japanese stylo, but much warmer than those of Japan. They are the homes of the colonels, captains and leutenants. he palace of the commander-in-chief, referred to at the beginning of my letter, {s &till farther on beyond the army head- quarters, which in size ccrrespond some- what to that of one of the great govern- ment buildings at Toklo. This residence is being constructed of steel and red brick. It is of three storles and basement, and it Is by the far the finest building ever begun in Korea. It will have every modern improvement and will be one of the wonders of this part of the far east The bullding s still in the seaffolding, but the walls have been finished, and it is about ready for roofing. It will probably be completed during the year. The com- mander-in-chief of the wrmy of Korea Is lower In rank than the resident general, and I am wondering what will be the home of the latter when it is constructed. It may be that it 18 to add to the fmpr slon that prevalls here as to the mighty power of the Japanese army, and be a living evidence of its unlimited riches and strength. —— Mikado's Military Fiat. The hand of the emperor of Japan In his ruling of Korea is for the present, nomin- ally at least, gloved with velvet. Inside the glove, however, there Is a fist of iron, and the man who represents this ls Gen- eral Hasegawa, one of the most famous soldlers in his majesty's army. He s commander-in-chief of the garrison in Korea, and as such has entire control of military affairs on the peninsula. He be- lieves in ruling the people with a strong hand, and if he had his will he would. I am told, institute a military directorship and stop what may be called the humanita- rian foolishness now carried on by Uncle Sam and the emperor of Japan In trying to train up weak and corrupt natlons to the ability of governing themselves, Gen- eral Hasegawa would not acknowledge this to the public. He is here as the as- sistant of Prince Ito, and as such must do He began his life in the army at 22 major and rose to be a colonel six years later. He was a major general in and he commanded a brigade in *he Japan-Ching war. At that time he was noted as a hero of Port Arthur, and In the war with Russia he agaln and on the breast of its coat I noticed elght silk loops, upon which he hangs his principal decorations of honor when he appears before the emperor and upon state occasions. Genern Hasegawa Taks. During our conversation, which jasted for the hangers-on perhaps half an hour, I asked the general to tell me something of the military situa- are the most difficult element tion In Korea. He replied that the situa- deal with. We was steadily improving and that the work, but they rebels who are such on patriotic grounds one of the had practically disappeare Sald he: “The actual conditions of Korea as to law not think they and order as Prince Ito says. There is no doubt, but that he belleves In & strong hand belng used In Korea, and that he is wield it If the same should be The main object of my visit to Yong-san toduy was to meet the general a%d have a talk with him. My audlence took place in headquarters, and we drank tea and clgarettes as we chatted together the medium of Mr. Kouroda. Hascgawa 18 now 59 years of ¥ g W won his spurs WOrld, and they have not been appreciated as the commander of the imperial guards- ©Ven by the government at Seoul. For gen- under General Kuroki, leading it to °rations bands victory at the Yalu and the battie of Liao- the mountains He was made a general in 1904, ana then to prey after that battle was appointed head of the held up the farmers and Korea. He s now practically at Vilages. If they of the Japanese military regime, informers were and should there be a war with any for- Sooner or later and elgn power the probability is that he would burned as a be in command. bands are generally Hasegawa looks llke a soldler. but there is one chief who has many he reminds me much of our Gen- lowers. His home I8 In the eral Lawton, who was killed in the Philip- He has the same slender figure, Who he is brigands matter nesses between here A hope to catch him erect bearing and an eye which ent our soliers are fe equally piercing. He has a jaw of iron, bands. They cheek bones and a high, broad, but take a long time to wipe them out, and we receding, forehead. His eyes are believe that almost stralght, and his nose is larger than When we have dis that of the ordinary Japanese. His face try will be practically quiet.” 15 full of red blood, but it is bronzed from life in the fleld. He wore today his uniform, which is the color of settle the guestion are 80 scattoered are thousands of them d of them the coun- Korea’s Idle Omctaln, “Do you mean that the Koreans will stop fighting and go to work?" “Not altogether," will stop fighting, but many of them will never work. This is 80 as far as the pres- s ent generation have considered it disgraceful to we of the officlal o have lived by squeezing the com cony have will sfonaries He replied that he dia could have never been known to the and that the trouble have infested and have come out how and on the lowlands. They have blackmaliled the were informed sure of vengeance, organization, mountain fast- was the reply. GREET TRAIN AT PRINGHAR. UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER: HOLIDAY CROWDS AT CHEROKEE. CENTER: BOOSTERS 47 THE IOWA COL- BAND AT SCRANTON. LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER: 2 SUME OF THE GLRLS OF BHELTON. GUARD AT THE GENERAL'S HEADQUARTERS. they died off and gave workers & froo field for themselves. At present the brig- ands are being recruited from this idls class. They fight not so much on grounds of patriotism as because they will do noth- ing else.” Korean Sodiers. “What will Japan do as to the soldlers of Korea? Will it train the bays here €0 that they may form a part of Japan's army of the future? The Koreans num- ber about 15,000,000, and 1if they will fight they will make quite an addition to your already large army.” The gereral laughed as he replied: “I should not encourage such & plan, and it is not In accordance with our scheme for bringing about the independ- ence of Korea under Japanese protection. The Korean goldlers might do well enough in the rear, and we could use them for the heavy work of our military operations, as transports and laborers. We would not dare put them at the front.” “How about the charges that your sol- diers are oppressing the people and killlug them without cause?” ““There s no truth In such statement sald General Hasegawa. ““We have to be sovere In our treatment of the rebels in order to maintain peace and keep the un- ruly element in check. War is a serious matter, and such conditions have to be handled in a serfous way. Otherwize we could do nothing with the country. Wae Wipe out the insurgents when they aro found, and it may be that when we are misinformed as to who are insurgents some Innocent men may be killed. At present we are using many Koreans in our police force, and the pro-Japanese Koreans are alding us to put down the rebellion." “Is it true that a band of your soldlers recently killed twenty such Koreans, sup- posing them Insurgents?" “1 know of the case to which you refet sald General Hasegawa. “We are not yet surc whether those people were insurgents or not. The killing occurred In a part of the country where there were bands of rebels, one of which contalned about thirty- 10ps Were on the track of that band and had been Informed that It was In a certain inn. The officer In command caught one man coming out and he had papers on him showing that was an insurgent. He then ordered those within the bullding to come out or he would shoot. They did not reply and he com manded his soldlers to fire. Upon golng in later twenty were found dead. We still believe that t} ! were largely Insurgents. They certalnly should have answered when the soldlers ordered them out. “Is not Korea a difficult land to po- Hee?” “Yes, exceedingly so. The country 1s covered with mountains, T ere are no troops can be marched. The only routes from place to another are bridle paths, become streams and rivers whei rains. There are practically no bridges and the country is o poor that It is difficult to provision the troops except by carrying food everywhere with us. Another ance to which the men are mubjec roads whatsoever over which orle which ever |t I presence of vermin, owing to personal uncleanliness of the people, There are lice and bugs of all kinds, and it is almost Impossible for the troops to keep themselves free from them." Where a Sodier Should Die. I here asked the general as to the héalth of his troops. He replied that it was excellent and that the troops had not bad the fevers, dysentary and smallpox, 80 common among the Koreans. He said the men were well cared for, and I com- plimented him on the healthful arrange- ment new barracks, saying that Japan was leading the world in matters of military sanitation, and that the low death rate from disease among the Japanese troops in Manchurla had been less than that of any great war in the past. The goneral acknowledged that this was true and significantly added “We Japancse do not ve that a sole dler should dle in his b I then broached the subject of Russia, asking the general whether he thought there would be another war r on and whether he would build fortifications along the northern borders of He replied that he would not and that such fortifica- tions on the frontler e contrary to to another struggle . he would not answer, saying that hoped there would be peace betweer two nations m now on. He xald J 1 not want Sheabis with ah ¢ that It war came s 114 have to do what she eould Wo r t whenever our honop 18 at e oo when to live w woul to suffer more tha I then asked, “\What about the bharge that you are preparing to fight America ?'* To this the general semi-facetiously res plie You people must consider us very war- lke to think we want to fight you. Ine deed, we would like to live a while yet." With that both laughed and the in- terview close FRANK G. CARFENTER,