ABSTRACT
The patriotic societies of Japan are the nurseries from which young fanatics are sent forth armed with bomb and pistol. They are a native growth with no exact counterpart in other countries. Like the Chinese secret societies they prey on the rich under a pretense of defending the poor; like the Sicilian Mafia they make murder a business; and like the Ku-Klux Klan they exploit tribal prejudices; but these are only incidental behaviourist features. The Ku Klux Klan in its highest heyday could never be called a part of the political system of the United States. The Imperial Kleagle-if that is the correct title-was not invited to the White House, but not long ago the Tokyo newspapers announced that Mitsuru Toyama, the patron saint of the Black Dragon Society, had lunched with Prince Konoye. The Japanese patriotic societies are an integral element of Japanese political life and are accepted as such by the government, the politicians, and the public.
