NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE most important external news of the week comes from the Far East. On Friday week the Emperor of Korea abdicated in favour of the Crown Prince. The abdication was forced on the Emperor by his Ministers. Marquis Ito, the Japanese Resident-General at Seoul, expressly declares that he did not influence the Court or the Government in any way. In the curious decree announcing the news the Emperor says : " While.Ministers are frequently improper men, and progress is uncontrolled by the right men, the times are contrary to
natural events We fear a danger like that which befalls a person crossing ice." A situation of intense difficulty followed. Intrigue was rampant, and riots broke out in the town. Some of the Korean troops mutinied, and in the street-fighting several Japanese were killed. The Korean troops had ninety thousand rounds of ammunition, and the Japanese General Hasegawa had only two thousand three hundred Japanese soldiers to keep order. He gave instruc- tions that the Korean ammunition stores should be blown up if they could not be defended. The ex-Emperor has appar- ently hatched several plots, and is believed to have tried to procure the murder of his former Ministers. Even if be has not made a. definite attempt to return to the throne, be has interfered persistently with his son's actions. On Thursday afternoon a Convention was signed which by its first article places Korea "under the secure guidance of Japan." Article II. requires Japanese assent to all new laws ; Article III. necessitates a similar approval for all appoint- ments ; and Article IV. makes only persona recommended by tbe Japanese Resident eligible for office in the Korean' Government. In a word, Korea passes entirely under Japanese control
