[8] On March 23, 1908, a Korean member of the Religious Army attempted to assassinate Mr. Stevens at San Francisco, wounding him so seriously that he died a few days later. In accordance with this advice the Korean Emperor disbanded and dismissed most of the fifty thousand troops he then had under arms, as he was reminded they were a needless expense. The Japanese had assured Korea’s independence and a small body-guard was all that was needed. About this time, partly in response to the fast growing feeling of the Koreans themselves that one of their heaviest drawbacks was a lack of knowledge of Western sciences, a number of foreigners, including nearly all the missionaries, formed an educational association of Korea, their object being to prepare text-books for Korean schools. A little later a large number of Koreans also founded an educational society which did not attempt to do with politics but gathered together those who believed education must be one of the important factors in putting Korea on her feet. In September, 1904, the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Protestant Missions was celebrated. The Seoul-Fusan Railroad was completed during this year and the Seoul-Wi Ju Railroad well under way, and although they were put through in the interests of the Japanese, missionaries cannot but believe that unconsciously they were the agents of the Almighty making straight paths for His own kingdom. The missionaries of the Cross were, with the Japanese troops, the first people to use these roads while they were still in construction. As the year advanced Japanese kept at work gathering the material resources of the country. The offices of the high Japanese officials were said to be literally besieged by their insistent countrymen who had no doubt come to Korea to make a great fortune one and all under the ægis of their own victorious troops and there is little doubt that the task of these officials, between their own rapacious nationals on the one hand and the Koreans who must be kept quiet for a time at least, till the army had done with Russia, was not too easy. Fishing rights along the whole coast were demanded and given, and next trading and riparian rights were seized. The signing of the treaty of peace with Russia was the signal for a still more active policy in Korea, and then immediate steps were taken for the establishment of a protectorate.