DECISION TO RETIRE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 184, 3 May 1934, Page 9

DECISION TO RETIRE

Salvation Army Leader ADVICE OF PHYSICIANS By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright; London, May 1. General Higgins announces that he is retiring from the position of head of the Salvation Army on November 10. The High Council assembles to elect his successor about August 27. Writing in the “War Cry,” General Higgins recalls that he originally said lie could not promise to continue in office beyond his seventieth birthday, A large number of leaders throughout the world asked him to continue, but two physicians had doubted whether liis health would permit. CABLE RECEIVED New Zealand Headquarters Confirmatory advice concerning General Higgins’s intention to retire has been received in Wellington. General Higgins succeeded the late General Bramwell Booth early in 1929. The headquarters of the Salvation Army iu Wellington was informed by cable yesterday that on May 1 General Higgins, in accordance with the provisions of the Army’s Act of Parliament aud deeds of constitution, handed the following formal notice to the Chief of tlie Staff: "International Headquarters. London, E.C.4. May 1, 1934. To Commissioner Henry William Mapp, the Chief of the Staff of the Salvation Army, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London: In exercise of the power conferred by section 4 of the Salvation Army Act, 1931, I hereby give yon notice that it is my intention to retire from the office of General of the Salvation Army as on and from November 10 next. — (Signed) Edward J. Higgins.” The following message from the General upon his coming retirement, has also been issued: —“It will be remembered by some that when in February of 1929 1 was asked by the High Council to assume Ihe leadership in succession to the late General Bramwell Booth, I announced, in accepting that high honour, that 1 could not promise to continue in office beyond (his period. 1 gave careful mid prayerful consideration to this request, but, after consultation with two very eminent London physicians as to the likelihood of my health permitting such an extension, I was compelled to accept the unfavourable verdict they gave, and adhere to my purpose to relinquish office toward the end of the present year. “This is not tlie occasion for a valedictory statement. That, can be lie made later, bin. I would like to request Salvationists in all parts of the world to pray that our Heavenly Father may continue to lead the Army in the paths of service on which through all the past it has kept marching. Go forward with your work in every corps, in every institution, in every phase of our activities, and let tlie world see during the coming months that our dependence is upon God and not upon man. He will, I aiu sure, at the proper time direct those responsible in the selection of a new leader, who will, under his guidance, take the Army to still greater achievements. “Mrs. Higgins Joins me in greetings to Salvationists everywhere. Our faith for the future is strong and unshaken."