Evening star., 1945-09-19
Black DRAGON Leader
Still Meets Members
Despite Dissolution
BY AL DOPKING,

AScoClhScu EIcss 6tau correspondent.
TOKYO, Sept. 19-The sup
posedly disbanded Black Dragon
Society, long a sinister and pow
erful Japanese political organi-
zation, still maintains it's head
quarters here. where former
members come to talk to their
chief "as individuals"
This was learned today from
Yoshisa Kuzuu, the societys white
bearded chief secretary, who talks
with seeming frankness, but evades
questions which might incriminate
the society or disclose names of it's
members to American occupation
forces.
The 71-year-old Kuzuu told me
that all records and documents of
his society were destroyed in the
May Is, 1945, Super Fortress fire
bomb raid.
While he admitted maintaining
what had been the Black Dragon
headquarters and meeting 'individ-
ually" with former members, he con-
tended this has nothing to do with
political things"
His disclosure that the one-time
Black Dragon headquarters still is
used by the former members came
one day after Premier Prince Higa-
shi-Kuni told American correspond
ents at a press conference that he
hoped secret groups would disband
of their own accord. but If they
didn't, the government would en-
force their dissolution.
Kuzuu repeatedly evaded ques-
tions about the names of prominent
Black Dragon members and dis
counted American and European
views that the society has been a
powerful militaristic force in Japan.
Kuzuu asserted it had declined in
power since the Sino-Japanese war
began, and that it was actually
frowned on by the Japanese govern
ment.
Kuzuu said the Black Dragon So
ciety was dissolved August 1S, 1945,
three days after Japan's surrender.
He said the organization had nearly
1000 members at the height of its
power eight years ago when the
founder of the terrorist organiza-
ton, Ryohei Uchida, died. Uchida,
he said, asked him to take the lead
ership of the society.
Under his own guidance, Kuzuu
Insisted, the society practically
abandoned political activity and
concentrated on welfare work
Kuzuu is the only officer. The or
ganization has no presidency.
Smiling mildly at the question,
Kuzuu told me through an inter-
prefer that: Il haven't seen nor
heard of an underground move
ment" in Japan today.
He said he was unable to supply
list of members names, since the
Black Dragon Society was I'm
formal" 1t required little working
cash, and depended on contribu-
tions, he added. MANY Japanese
have told me the society black
lacked contributions from unwilling
donors by threats of terrorism.)
"Astonished" by Attitude.
kuzuu said he was "astonished"
to learn that the Black Dragon was
regarded by Americans and Eu-
ropeans as a powerful, dangerous
organization.
These rumors probably were
based on the fact the Black Dragon
Society was the Oldest in the coun-
try, and was active in the Russo
Japanese war and also in China af-
fairs, United States immigration
problems, and disarmament" he
added.
When the war broke out" he
said, ''it probably made the people
IN the United States and Europe
suspect we had something to do
with it."
The Black Dragon is not a secret
organization, he insisted, and it met
only when it had foreign problems
to thresh out. He said he received
no pay as chief secretary, although
ne got some money for doing well
fare work, from magazine articles
and from friends contributions. He
lives in one of Tokyo's better dis
tricts.
He is maintaining the Black
Dragon office nowadays, he ex-
planned, because of his interest in
new methods of farming. He said
he wanted to do all he could to
spread such innovation in Japa-
nese agriculture.
No, he never has farmed, he said.
but friend sold him on the idea.