It

Demands were made for mining concessions, for railway concessions, and for a share in the trade, although no German combination was very willing to exploit Korea. Rather unfortunately, perhaps, the demand for mining concessions was acceded to, and in 1898 power was given to a German company to select a place twenty miles long and twelve miles wide where mining operations could be conducted, provided the site was chosen within two years of the signing of the contract. The place was duly selected, but after an expenditure of many thousands of pounds the workings were abandoned as worthless and the German company returned to the happy Fatherland. is believed that the German Legation also succeeded in securing the concession for the building of the Seoul-Wonsan railway, a line running from the capital to the most promising part on the east coast of Korea; but as the Japanese military engineers will probably have begun the construction of this line before these pages see print, there is evidently some vagueness in the original German arrangeThere is also one German commercial house at Chemulpo, one German Court doctor, and one German lady-housekeeper who looks after the Emperor's foreign furniture and title-deeds. This concludes Germany's vested interests.

ment.

The busy little Belgians, who are perhaps the most enigmatic quantity in the Far East, and who exploit, or wish to exploit, the Orient apparently for no reason except that their country is the most

densely populated in Europe, inviting therefore a movement abroad, were also in the market for interests in Korea. At the time of the outbreak of war they had several Government advisers in Korea, a prospective mining concession, and an expert coming from Charleroi to teach the Koreans how to blow glass; whilst in the French missions there were known to be several Belgian priests. Altogether the optimist cannot fail to allege that Belgian interests in Korea were in a most promising condition when war knocked everything on the head, as the Japanese have always had a curious suspicion that Belgium is working for something or somebody else, and that the absence of this little country is good for the health of nations. The same thing may possibly have been thought of in

Persia.

Finally Italy, late in the field, had only sent a Count to Korea as Consul as tardily as December, 1901. He unfortunately died in the following year, but almost immediately another Count was found to succeed him. The time which elapsed between this date and the Port Arthur attack, sixteen months, was insufficient to create interests, and although a marine guard now protects the Consulate, Italy must be classed as even less successful than amiable little Belgium in this respect.

Having completed a rapid survey of the trifling stakes which the continent of Europe held in Korea, it is time to speak of something more tangible.

The United States have a growing interest in the

trade of Korea, and considerable quantities of American manufactures and American products find their way in ever-increasing quantities to the Hermit Kingdom. By far the most important item of American trade is the import of American mineral oil. The quarterly total now amounts to approximately two million gallons, and although this is but a trifling amount compared with the quantities imported into other Far Eastern countries, it may be assumed that in the course of the next few years imports of this household necessity will expand until the yearly total runs into many tens of millions of gallons. No other mineral oil can successfully compete with the American product in the Far East, and the Koreans show an increasing appreciation of this excellent illuminant. Second in importance come American cotton manufactures. It is impossible to give exact quantities, as the Korean Customs have experienced considerable difficulty in the past in properly classifying the origin of imports ; but it will suffice to say that this trade in cottons is a very important one which will tend to increase rather than diminish under the new Japanese régime.

In strong contrast to all other mining ventures in Korea, the great American mine at Unsan stands out as an example of what the mining industry of this country may become one day. The Unsan

mine employs one hundred and fifty Japanese and Chinese, a hundred Europeans, and from four to five thousand Korean miners, and is an enormous success. The company has a paid-up capital of a

million sterling, and the area comprised within its concession is upwards of eight hundred square miles. Two hundred head of stamps are already at work, and the gold output has risen from £150,000 sterling in 1901 to more than double that figure. This mine will one day attract considerable attention. It is to be hoped that South African capitalists, who are already large shareholders in this concern, will enter the field independently when opportunities present themselves after the war.

The Seoul-Chemulpo railway, which has now been absorbed by the Japanese Fusan-Seoul trunk line, was originally an American venture built by American engineers, whilst the Seoul Electric Car Company and the Seoul Electric Light Company are also American concerns which have made large sums of money for their promoters and are managed by the American firm, Collbran and Bestwick, whose chiefs are the intimates of the Korean Emperor. The Japanese have used, and are still using, great quantities of American rails and materials in their railway invasion of Korea, and the magic names of Carnegie and Baldwin meet one's eyes everywhere. Then the American colony in Korea numbers fully two hundred and fifty people, and is therefore far larger than that of any other nationality excepting the Japanese. There are seventy or eighty Americans at the Unsan mines, several American firms, and a missionary society with numerous people attached. Indeed, it may be said that the American missionary body is

the most important in Korea and is really doing excellent work. Mr. Angus Hamilton, in his recent book on Korea, gravely suggests that the American mission stations might be turned into experimental farms, as the only possible way of doing any good. This is ungallant, as it was an ex-missionary lady who saved his life in the terrible account he gives in the last pages of his book, for, sad truth, the manager he refers to was a woman. work being done by the Korea is quite admirable. much time and energy scholastic work, and in thus undertaking the special teaching of Korean children the American missionary has struck the true note.

As a matter of fact, the American missionaries in Apart from proselytising, are devoted to purely

The Korean

youth are the one hope of the country, and no one can gainsay the fact that if a system of compulsory education is introduced by the Japanese, the most remarkable change will be effected in the country in a very few years. Baby Koreans are smart, quick, warm-hearted, and happy. It is only the gloomy life of drudgery they are forced to live when they grow up which makes them sorry men and women. I believe the Japanese authorities are inclined to go as far as subsidising all mission schools, so convinced are they of the ultimate good they will do the country. This is strangely different from what Mr. Angus Hamilton would have people believe who have no knowledge of the Far East.

Though less important than American interests, British interests in Korea are somewhat different.