In 1896, at the tender age of 22, William Franklin Sands was appointed second secretary at the American Legation in Tokyo. The baby-faced Sands was a privileged youth; his father was an admiral who knew everyone - including the president - and was not above using his influence to open doors for his son. But even the privileged sometimes became victims of the vortex of politics in Washington, D.C., and with a new president came changes - Sands was replaced a little over a year after his arrival.
In Korea, the New Year began with change and trepidation. December had been brutally cold but the first week of January 1898 was pleasantly mild. There was the promise of prosperity. The rice prices, which had been extremely high due to the failure of the crops in the capital region the previous year, continued to fall as more shipments of rice arrived. There were probably some who believed that the supernatural was responsible for this change of fate.
In Korea, the New Year began with change and trepidation. December had been brutally cold but the first week of January 1898 was pleasantly mild. There was the promise of prosperity. The rice prices, which had been extremely high due to the failure of the crops in the capital region the previous year, continued to fall as more shipments of rice arrived. There were probably some who believed that the supernatural was responsible for this change of fate.