Japan -- Foreign relations -- Korea; Korea; Korea -- Foreign relations -- Japan
The Japanese ladies in Seoul have formed themselves into several
flourishing societies, the most important of which, perhaps, is the
“Ladies’ Patriotic Association.” This Association is not only useful
as an organ for benevolent work among the widows and orphans of the
Japanese soldiers, and among the soldiers now on service in Korea, but
it has already done much to break down the barriers which exclude Korean
women of the upper classes from similar offices, as well as those which
separate the women of the two nationalities. It is, therefore, admirably
adapted to further indirectly the purposes of the Resident-General
in maintaining the honor and welfare of Japan by promoting the good
of Korea. On Wednesday of the week following the address before the
Economics Club, I spoke to some sixty Japanese ladies, and about the
same number of gentlemen, under the auspices of this Association. The
theme was the importance and value of relations of friendship between
the two countries, as an appeal to the patriotism of those who must be
relied upon to bring about these relations. A few Korean ladies also were
present at this gathering. And when, at a collation which followed in
the Japanese Club-House of Seoul, Mrs. Ladd made a short address to the
ladies, a response in few words was made in Japanese by Mrs. Megata, the
wife of the Financial Adviser to the Korean Government, and a yet longer
one, in the same language, by Mrs. Yi Chi-yung, the wife of the then
acting Korean Minister for Home Affairs. Such incidents as these may seem
trivial, but they are really noteworthy as the beginnings of what may
well grow into a satisfactory practical solution of the difficult problem
of establishing a Japanese Protectorate over Korea in a way to secure the
honor and welfare of both nations.
The remaining two addresses to Japanese audiences in Seoul were not
particularly significant as bearing upon the interests I was trying to
serve. They were, however, suggestive as to certain changes going on in
Korea which are destined to assist in the redemption of the country.
These were an address on an educational topic to about sixty teachers who
met in the fine, large brick school-building which marks conspicuously
the Japanese ideal in this matter; and a talk on the relation of religion
to social reform, given in one of the Japanese churches to an audience
of a union character, representing the Christian work among their own
countrymen by pastors imported from Japan. An address at the annual
meeting of the Bible Society, an address at a meeting of the Asiatic
Society, and one or two other talks, completed my work of this character,
so far as the city of Seoul was concerned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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