Religious Sect Accused of Disrespect to Throne Osaka, Aug. 23. igious fanatics" belonging to the "Society for the Study of the Laws of Nature," with headquarters near Nara, had been long suspected by the police as spreading false doctrines disrespectful to the Imperial Throne, and recently 190 leaders were rounded up. To-day the police released masses of details concerning the affair, but the essential facts are still withheld.
Therefore, the real significance of the whole affair is-unknown. How. to political treason. ever, it appears there ia: no ground
The police have lifted the toan regarding the arrest of 393 former members of the Tenrikyo religious sect, of whom 179 have been committed for trial charged with les Though they have no connection with communists these persons, who were expelled from the Tenrikyo four years ago owing to their unorthodox views, are fanatics and urge the overthrow of the present. reigning house, averring that they themselves are descendants of goils country. and consequently should rule the
Tt may be recalled that a' somewhat similar incident occurred in 1920, which led to the suppression of the Omotokyo, another semireligious sect which had been disrespectful to the Imperial Family.
Mr. Matsuo, {chief of the Religfous Section of the Education Department, commenting on the matter, intimated that it was owing to the difficulty of controlling such sects that the Government were anxious to draft a religious Inw for Japan as soon as possible.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.