SALVATION ARMY LEADER

Evening Star, Issue 22719, 5 August 1937, Page 18

SALVATION ARMY LEADER

GENERAL EVANGELINE BOOTH PREACHING SINCE SHE WAS TWELVE Evangeline Booth was- horn. in 1865, the seventh child of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, and his wife, Catherine. Booth, and, like her ■brothers and sisters, she was, from her earliest years, dedicated to the campaign of salvation by her parents, writes Berthe Vulliemin. One can picture the life of this family of evangelists, austere, yet tender, in tense, vibrating, entirely penetrated by the idea of an urgent and superior mission to be accomplished, and filled with the spirit of crusade and adventure. The father, an old soap box which served him as a platform under his arm, accompanied by a few stalwartlooking converts, sets out , on his nightly crusade into the lowest haunts of vice. Often when he', returns his clothes are in tatters; but his eyes are shining, those glowing eyes doomed one day to become blind; and, the following day, at dawn he sets out anew for the scene of fresh struggles, fresh victories. . Speaking of herself, Evangeline says: “At the age of 12 I began to preach, standing on a drum, and since then 1 • have never stopped.” We find her at 16, tall, slim, rosy of cheek, her rebellious golden curls tucked under the blue Salvation Army bonnet, captain ia one of the East End quarters of London. “ Go and get the Army started,” her father had commanded. The district in question, was one of the worst in London, and the difficulties Evangeline encountered at first were very great. Booing and insults greeted her. But she did not allow herself to be rebuffed. As all the young ragamuffins continued to torment her, she had the idea cf sticking up on- the window of one of her three rooms the following notice:—“Broken Toys / Mended Here Free of Charge.” The result was marvellous. The children brought her their ruined treasures. The cleverest of her “ clients ” became her assistants Gradually, through the children, she won over the parents. They began to listen to her. They even , allowed her to sing and pray in the , lowest haunts. A band of young men, the terrors of the district, constituted . I themselves her bodyguard. 1 ’ Very soon after this the general gave ‘ J.;s daughter command of the Garrison 1 i

of International Instruction. The object the Army had in view was’ to make their movement worldwide; already sections had been formed abroad; it was necessary to provide them with trained officers. competently filled this post for several years. In 1896, when'she was 30, her father appointed her Territorial Commissioner of Canada. , The evangelical charge arid the .administrative responsibilies of the whole hbuntry rested'on; her shoulders. For'nine years she did riot spare herself.; Making interminable journeys in this immense country,, she visited every post and created new 2 ones. At the time of the first massacre of the Armenians, a number of refugees disembarked in New Brunswick. Evangeline Booth went to meet them, and so eloquently pleaded their cause that bundles of clothing, boxes of .food, and money were sent to her. from everywhere for their assistance. In 1898 came the discovery of the Klondyke and the great_ Gold Rush. Thousands of pioneers arrived from all parts of the world; many had sold all they possessed to pay the journey. The conditions .of life .were terrible, anil crimes, were of daily occurrence. The Commissioner went to Dawson City, where she organised centres for assistance and evangelisation. Accompanied by _ a small detachment of Mounted Police, she carried her message into the iriost remote and roughest mining camps. _ In 1904, following the death of her sister and the temporary retirement of her brother-in-law, she was given the high command of the Salvation Army in the United States .and the title of commander. The task was an overwhelming one, but Evangeline Booth carried it on for thirty years. It is impossible to enumerate all the initiatives, organisations, foundations, etc., which marked her long period of command. Her masterly reorganisation of the finances of the Army deserves a chapter to itself. When the Great War broke out in 1914 the United States whs neutral; but over there in Europe, men, Christians, were dying by thousands. Something'nuist he done to alleviate their sufferings. -The Salvation - Army sent ship-loads of dressings to London, Paris. Berlin. In 1917, the United States entered the war. It was a grave moment. What would the Salvationists do? Evangeline Booth declared that their place was at the front. It was there in the capacity of hospital_ attendants, stretcher-bear-ers, chaplains, cooks, canteen-keepers, that, they could best serve their country and their religion. The Army then must send a contingent to Franco! Many people smiled at the idea, but nothing could stop Commander Booth *

• when it was a question of doing good.- ■ She addressed herself to President Wil- • son, obtained the necessary authorisa- ; tion, and, when the first American 1 troops embarked for France, a 'detachi ment of Salvationists, equipped with everything necessary, went with them. ■ By the month of August, 1917, the ■ American Salvation Army had spent [ 900,0Q0d0l in installing ■ 383 hut en- > campments and reading rooms, 70 canteens, 35 ambulances. And that was . only a beginning. Tho work aceomi Jplished during these difficult years, ma- [ tefial as well as spiritual, is inestim- , able. And Evangeline Booth was the : constant inspirer and instigator of it , all. On "her return to the United ' States, President Wilson decorated her with the 'Distinguished Service , Medal ; in recognition of services rendered to | the troops by tho Salvation Army dur- ‘ ing the war. In addition to this tribute the whole country joined in subscribing 13 million dollars for tho 1 charitable institutions of the Army in the. United States. Thus. it will be seen that although shO' lias known tribulations and perse--1 cutions; she has been the recipient of great honours. A guest of the White 1 House, she has also been the guest of the Emperor of Japan; the University of Massachusetts has conferred on her tho honorary title of doctor; she has received the Fairfax Gold Medal for “ eminent services rendered to the country ’ ’; the King of Sweden decorated her with the Gold Medal of Wasa for “ services rendered to the Sweetish population of the United States ’ ’; Queen Mary embroidered with her own hands a garment to be put up for sale by the Salvation Army; tho wife of President Taft worked a flap. v On December 3, 1934. Evangeline Booth was elected General of , the Salvation Army. The responsibility of the five continents now rests on her shoulders. She only carries herself all the straighter. More than 20,000 persons crowded into Madison Gardens on tho day when the General took leave of the United States. The Attorney-General, delegated by President Roosevelt, the Mayor of Now York, Bishop Manning, numerous members of the clergy, the business world, hankers, lawyers, and several generals assisted at the moving 1 ceremony. And when the s.s. Majestic ' bore Evangeline Booth away to her new functions there floated from it an extra flag which was not tho flag of any particular, nation but that of en- 1 tire humanity, the crimson flag of the Salvation Army, hearing the words “ The World For God ” Since she has become General, Evangeline Booth has not slowed down her activities. Absolutely tireless, she .travels from country to country, stimulating the zeaj of her officers, enroll- i

ing new recruits, encouraging, preaching, always alert, always cheerful, understanding and helpful. Her. powers of endurance are remarkable. In England, during ’ the summer of 1935 when on a tour of inspection and evangelisation, she constantly had to preside over 10 meetings a day, speaking twice at each of them. When night Came, lively and alert as ever, she would good-naturedly tease her wornout officers who could scarcely keep their eyes open. The following morning she would be the first up, ready to start another day. When in England the General lived in a little house in the outskirts of London. An early riser, she eats sparingly and takes as much exercise ns possible in the open air. Swimming and riding have remained her favourite sports. Her days are given up to work; in the evening, when she is not preaching, she reads, writes, composes hymns, or plays the harp. She never goes to bod without a pencil and paper beside her; many of her finest inspirations are the fruits of nocturnal meditations. A life like this speaks for itself. For the rest, the General has so completely identified her aims and ideals with those of the Army that the greatest compliment one can pay her is ■to praise the work to which her father, •her whole family, and herself have consecrated their lives.