A2

and infom the -"reet of what is actually taking place in the fast.

10. ';ork a propaganda distributing literature and illustrated leaflets

11 Show ccnclusive reasens why Korea should ae independent and how the
Koreans are capable of governing tnemselvee.        ..•„„„+ +>,=

12. Make an official d^majad for representation and J'^cognition at the
peace Conference and a formal petition for the liberation of Korea
with concicive but comxjrahensive memoranda.

K0HU.P0 SUTlEilT PKBtiL'ENX iaLSOii TO iilD ^Oill.t UECDE3

HEB LIBERTY.                              „ ,„^„

Peking, Feb.29, 1919
Letter froa liorea Independence Committee aak Korea's ca&e be
placed by Wilson before Paris Conference — Eecounts Japanese Mai-
Administration .

Ihe following ia a translation of a i.etter which r.aa been pre¬
sented to the Amirican Minister by Ghao Yu-fu, Chi Tien-fu and other
members of the Korean Independence Committee who represent the Korean
T)eoT)le living in China.                                                                    ...      v.. *

The petition, it is understood, was presented some tme ago but
was not disclosed until today when representatives of the Korean
committee gave copios of it to a local nev/s agency. The letter loi-
lows:-

Text of letteri

We Koreans who are exiles m China respectfully, with tears o±
blood", present our case to the American Minister in China and ask
his aid in our behalf.

Following the violent seizure of Korea by Japan the Korean
people were nearly exterminated. How by the grace of God, the European
war has been ended, and ths porrerf^al monstor has been destroyed.
T'he great President of your country, upholding human rights, has de¬
clared that people have the right of celf determination.  From the
de-Dthe of their bitterness, the Korean people look up to him with
sincere gratitude and beg Your Excellency to convey to your govern¬
ment our prayer that the Peace Conference take up the problem of
bettering th^ condition of oar voiceless nation which contains twenty
million oiopresaed people.                                                          ,     ,   j.j.<„„

ACCompanyin.i the petition is a very interesting document setting
forth the Korean claims.  It is as follows:
1. For four thousand years following its foundation Korea was

an independent nation. This statement is borne out by hist»iy.
2 The Kingdom of Korea, during the last fe-7 hundred years of

Its  txlltance, paid tribute in native produce to China but China did
not interfere in ths internal administration of the country, which
had its own administatation and was entirely iuuependeax.
3. On the pretext of the independence of Korea Japan went to   , ,,. .
war with Cliina in 1394 and 1895. The treaty of Shimonoseki admitted
the independence of Korea which waa also recognised by the various
foreign pov;ers.  Japan's assistance to Korea was only a pretext for
the purpose of robbing Korea.
4 A'-'ain in 1^04 vfhon Janan v;ent to war with Bussia she de-

clared that the war was being fought to maintain the independence

of Korea.

JA.''AH VIOLATES TEI'ATY.
5. Japan suddenly annexed Korea in 1910, abandoning all national

honor and in violation of treaty obli^atione. The act was a total
defiance of all moral orinoipleii. That was in the a_;e when might
made right and no nation offered any objection or extended any pity
to Korefi.