The Living Reed: A Novel of Korea by Pearl S. Buck

Author:Pearl S. Buck
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781453267462
Publisher: Moyer Bell and its subsidiaries
Published: 2012-08-20T14:00:00+00:00

The American President himself issued a proclamation which was also reprinted in the Japanese papers:

CALL TO ARMS

Now therefore I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, do proclaim and give notice to all—and I do charge that every male person of the designated ages is written on these lists of honor—

The great sonorous words rolled across the world and announced to the serfs and the slaves and to all who were not free, and to Yul-han himself, that those male persons whose names were to be written on the lists of honor would deliver not only his own people from the danger of invaders, but those who had been and were invaded.

In the church the missionary raised his hairy arms to heaven and asked God’s blessing on America and on the American President and from the thousands of the suppliant congregation of Koreans there came forth like thunder after lightning a great Amen.

… They were meeting in the church at night. In the night, when the lamps of the city were put out and the rulers slept, the Christians stole to the church and sitting in the darkness, listened to Yul-han who read aloud beside a single candle, hidden by a wooden shelter. What he read was news of the war halfway across the world. Japan had seized territories in China; yes, ships were sinking to the bottom of the sea; yes, young men were dying by the thousands, and then by the millions. Britain alone had five million young men dead; yes, but Woodrow Wilson was speaking again to the peoples of the world and the Christians crowding the churches in Korea listened:

“‘The military-masters of Germany who proved also to be the masters of Austria-Hungary, their tool and pawn, have regarded the smaller states as their natural tools and instruments of domination.’”

A long low moan came from the people. “We are also tools and instruments of domination!”

Yul-han read on. “‘Filling the thrones of the Balkan States with German princes, developing sedition and rebellion, their purpose is to make all the Slavic peoples, all the free and ambitious nations of the Baltic peninsula, subject to their will!’”

The people chanted in the same long moan, “We—we are the subjects of others’ will!”

Yul-han lifted his head, his voice rang out, dangerous with hope. “Hear further the words of Woodrow Wilson! ‘We shall hope to secure for the peoples of the Baltic peninsula and for the people of the Turkish Empire the right and the opportunity to make their own lives safe from the dictation of foreign courts!’”

“Make us safe, too, Woodrow Wilson! Make us safe from the dictation of foreign courts,” the people chanted.

All over the world such words were sent by the magic wireless. All that Wilson said was sent, and set in the news of each day’s fighting were the messages of Wilson, put on the air as they were spoken and within twenty-four hours heard everywhere, from the mountains of South America to the mountains of Korea. Three hundred

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