A few weeks ago at a station on the Seoul-Fusan Railway a Korean stepped upon a path leading away from the station. There was no sign to indicate that this was forbidden. Instantly three or four Japanese rushed upon him, knocked him down and beat him into unconsciousness. He remained in that state two days but finally recovered. It was an utterly brutal and causeless assault, and this sort of thing is going on all over the country. The class of Japanese who for the most part are exploiting Korea seem to take delight in wantonly abusing the people, simply out of braggadocio. There is no use in multiplying examples of this. We think that the Japanese are injuring themselves in allowing this sort of thing to go on. We are sorry to see that Koreans have come to the conclusion that all Japanese are like this. Such is far from being the case. We believe the average Japanese would act very different from this. The daily press of Japan is constantly recording acts of generosity and kindness on the part of Japanese even toward Russian captives and we believe that if the more respectable class of Japanese should come to Korea the people would be treated justly and kindly. We have consistently upheld Japan in her opposition to Russian intrigues in the Far East. Japan is doing a splendid work and is fitting herself to do a still greater work in this region. She probably aspires to be a leader of opinion in this part of the world and to bring her influence to bear upon China for the renovation of that enormous mass of humanity. That is a much larger work than the mere absorption of a little corner of the Far East like Korea; but if Japan breaks her solemn pledges to Korea and continues to treat this people as she is now doing she is sure to injure herself in the eyes of the world. Japan is fighting Russia because of the latter’s broken promises in Manchuria, but if Japan herself breaks the promises she has made to Korea, how can she gain the countenance and acquiescence of the Western powers in any plan for large work in the rehabilitation of China? The best thing for Japan from the merely selfish standpoint would be to clear her skirts of all suspicion of double dealing with Korea, to give this people even-handed justice, to visit swift and exemplary punishment on any Japanese subject who treats a Korean less justly than he would a fellow Japanese.