Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-03-02
SPY
 CONSERVATIVES
 LATEST MENACE
Japanese Buddists Employ Women to Combat Spread
 of Christianity.

New York, March 1.-All the world is familiar with the military spy, but the religious spy is some thing new-at least to the occidental world. It has remained for the Budd- hists of Japan to develop and per feet the religious spy system. Accord ing to Christian missionaries in that country, Buddhism is spying out, as it believes the strong points of the Christian religion as presented at the missions and adapting them to the spreading of Buddhism.
 Buddhist girl spies committing Christian Sunday School lessons and gospel hymns to memory, heather preachers using Christian sermons verbatim except for substitution the name of their God for that of Christ pagan religious attempting revivals along occidental lines-these are some of the curious phases of the of Japan today as told of here today by Sam ner R. Vinton who is one of the fam ous Vinton family which has produc- cod missionaries than any other fam fly in Methodism.
 Is Aiding Campaign.
 Mir. Vinton is here to help the Methodist Missionary Centenary move ment, which aims to raise $120,00O,- 900 to better schools, hospitalsti or phanages and like institutions and to raise the spiritual and moral tone of civilization in our own land and among backward races of the globe.
 "As Hinduism is trying to fight back the conquering armies of Chris tianity in India, and as Mohammedan ism is attempting a like task in Africa, so the devotees of the relig- ious of Japan are waking up. And just as Japan copies western indus trial and governmental life, she is try ing to adopt our religious methods, J said Mr. Vinton.
 There is Shinto revival and a Buddhist revival. The first name dis an attempt to substitute patriotism for religion. It is huge experiment in national psychology. If it succeeds it may have the same result as a simi- lar plan had in Germany-Japan may out-Prussinize Prussia.
 :.; Buddist Proverb.
 ."'As to Buddhism( we have a pro- verb in Durham where l was. born and lived eighteen years, The dying frog gives last kick /
 "The Shin sect of Buddhists has two branches in Japan-the Nichi Hongwanji and the Higashi Hongwan- ji. The Nichi Hongwanji is the pro- gressive denomination which is con- ducting the revival movement. "The movement has had an unhappy his- tory. Large funds were collected and these were used secretly by some of the insiders for speculation on the Tokio Stock Exchange. The result was huge scandal. The Japanese newspapers printed indignant articles and the government finally took over supervision of the budget. This Budd- hist budget last year was about $10,- 00O,OOO of which $6.500,000 was cred- tied to the Kongwanii.
 Many In Japan.
 "The Nichi Hengwanji is establish. ing Sunday Schools throughout Japan. t has big church and Sunday Schools in the Hawaiian Islands and was surprised to see, when l visited it.. that the church building bore certain type of chrysanthemum in it's decora- tion which in Japan can mean only that the enterprise using it enjoys imperial patronage.
 q visited Buddhist Sunday School in Japan with missionary friend and was cordially received. The Budd- hists eagerly showed us all over the building and when the ybegan to ask us about American Sunday school methods. My missionary friend gave the information desired freely. He told me later he did this because he was determined to bring these Buddhist leaders themselves to Christ, knowing what great victory that would be-.
 Girl Spys.
 "But the Buddihsts do not always get their information {. in this open way. For instance, young Japanese girl professed conversion and became