A new phase of the situation now opened during which the high-handed acts of the Chinese Minister alarmed the better class of Koreans and made them think more kindly of the Japanese who had at least not tampered with the independence of the country. Japanese diplomacy did all it could during this period to stem the rising tide of Chinese influence, but the Queen was so constituted mentally that having once conceived a thorough dislike for any person or policy it was well-nigh impossible to change. From the time when the Japanese, in 1884, helped the progressives in their attempt to wrest the power from the hands of the Queen’s faction there was no peace between her and the Japanese. But she was the pivotal point in the whole situation, and this the Japanese failed to see, or, seeing, ignored. As we have said, the Chinese were striving hard to make up for the mistake which they had made in allowing Korea to sign treaties on the basis of independence, and with such good results that Japanese diplomacy was again frustrated. Once more she had recourse to the arm of force to carry out her ideas. The war with China resulted in complete success for her arms and again Japanese influence became paramount; but it should be noted that this aroused little enthusiasm among the Koreans. To be sure they had been saved from the threatened Chinese supremacy but the Koreans had no confidence in the ability of the Japanese to handle the situation wisely. In this they were right, for Japan began by enforcing unnecessary sumptuary laws which did not strike at the root of the Korean difficulty but only wounded the pride of the Korean people. At that time Japan had a second opportunity to prove her ability to handle an alien people and again she failed. The assassination of the Queen and the enforced detention of the King in is palace, which resulted in his throwing himself into the arms of Russia, was the direct result. This series of events convinced the Koreans that Japan was unable to effect the changes which were necessary in order to prepare for the real progress of the country, and they also demonstrated to the Western world that however capable Japan may have been in leading her own people toward civilization and enlightenment she lacked the peculiar power necessary to the handling of an alien people.