ABSTRACT
The situation on the ground in Korea seemed to the Japanese to become daily more serious. The Russian minister was trying to legalize the position of the timber company at Yongampo. The representatives of Britain, the United States and Japan were in varying degrees urging Korea to open the ports on the Yalu river as the best way of dealing with the awkward lumber concession. The Japanese tended to see Yongampo rather as a Russian base of operations against Japanese activities in the peninsula. Thus, there was a message from Minister Hayashi in Seoul on 4 October, reporting intelligence received that the Russians had installed gun emplacements at Yongampo. Colonel C. M. Ducat, military attaché at the British legation in Peking who was visiting Korea and had a high reputation for intelligence work in the area, initially reported that it was merely a semaphore unit. But, after he had discussions with the Japanese, he confirmed that the Russians had been building sites for 5-6 guns. 1
