The Washington times., 1921-04-17

Rev. Y. Imamura, bishop OF the
Hongwanji mission, IL the most
powerful Budahist in ~ sislands.
tie- presfdss 49, splendid ,1so.soo
temple in Honolulu, and affiliated
with his temples throughout the is-
lands are $4,000 Japanese. ,J.47
Imamura personally told me that
his appointment and authority comes
directly from Hosu Otani, at Kyoto.
He said also that this appointment
was approved, by the bureau OF re-
ligion OF the department of the In
terior. at Tokyo, through which bu-
reau his work is controlled.
HAWAIIAN BUDDHISM
CLOSE TO MrkADO.
Hence there exist tetween Bud
dhist activities in the islands and
Buddhist japan three separate con-
nections-nrst, with the Imperial
household; second. with the Bud
dhist hierarchy; and third, with the
civil government. ~
Buddhism has a nrm grip on the
Japanese OF Hawaii BY the testi-
mony of Japanese Christians II is
actively Tightening that grip IN a
campaign before which, the Chris
tians stand appalled,. 1t 10 notorious
ly an effective agency OF Japan in
helping to make Japanese born in
the islands loyal subjects OF the en-
pire.
Thirty years of faithful labor In
this promising vineyard of the Lord
had till last spring produced $500
Christians Ungodly whites say
many Of these are Christians for
revenue only, since better jobs are
to be had by Japanese who say they
arc Christians. A number of these
scofYers told me they knew Japanese
"Christis ms" who had little shrines
in their houses and regularly went
to the temples to worship.
TO BE A BUDDHIST Is
TO BE LOYAL TO EMPEROR.
But let that co.; count the $500
as genuine Christians. That leaves
107, 800 who are not. and these arc
either Buddhist or under Buddhist in
fIuences. And to be q japanese
Buddhist means to be q Shintoist. al
most invariably. for rot to revere the
emperor as q descendant in direct line
OF the. Sun God is to be other than
loyal Japanese. The count of c,50O
Is a pitiable showing for the churches
of Christ, especially as during the
strike last spring several hundred OF
these drifted back to the temples, In
consequence of the solidarity Of Japa-
nese opposition to everything Au.eri-
can in that frank period.
Supplementing this Is the fact that
of some 125.000 JaJpanese in mainland
America. but 1000 are members or
Christian churches.
The Rev. DIR. Sidney Gulick, who
would have us admit annually 10 per
cent of the number OF Japanese, resi-
dent within our borders, is the or
ganizer of the Federal Council Of
Churches of Christ in America, the
direct purpose of which Is to show
the East the error of CALIFORNIA; way
AFFILIATED are thirty Protestant sects,
with II, OO0, 900 members.
MORE BUDDBIsTs IN U. 8.
THAN CHRISTIANS IN JAPAN.
These millions of church people
would do well to contemplate the re-
suits of Japanese immigration. held
in check as IL has been by California's
opposition. II has firmly entrenched
Buddhism in America There are to-
day many more Japanese Buddhists In
America than there are Christians in
Japan. II Gulick and his zeatous
band Of devotees had their way,
Christianity on the Pacific coast would
be overwhelmed beneath of flood of
Buddhism, Hawaifs experience proves
IT, GulicEs organization is actually,
without Anowing II, working in aid