SALVATION ARMY LEADER

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4327, 17 August 1937, Page 2

SALVATION ARMY LEADER

GENERAL EVANGELINE BOOTH PREACHING SINGE SHE WAS TWELVE Evangeline Booth was born in 1865, the seventh child of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, and his wife, Catherine Booth, and, like h§i brothers and sisters, she was, from her earliest years, dedicated to the campaign of salvation undertaken by her parents, writes Berthe Vulliemm. One can picture the life of this family ol 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 hear in , 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 7, at dawn he sets out anew foi 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 a 1 16, tall, slim, rosy of cheek, her rebellious golden curls tucked under the blue Salvation Army bonnet, captain in one of the East End quarters ol London. “Go and get the Army started,” her father had commanded, The district in question was one of tin worst in London,, and the difficulties j Evangeline encountered at first were I very great. Booing and insults greetec her. But she did not allow herself tc ,be rebuffed. As all the young ragamuffins continued to torment her, sht had the idea of sticking up on the i 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 7, 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 themselves her bodyguard. Very soon after this the general gave his daughter command of the Garrison 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. Evangeline competently filled this post for several years. In 1896, when she was 30, her father appointed her Territorial Commissioner of Canada,. The evangelical charge and the administrative responsi'bilies of the whole country rested on her shoulders. For nine years she did not spare herself. Making interminable journeys in this immense country, she visited every post and created new 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 Bush. 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, and 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 most 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., i 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 was neutral; but over there in Europe, men, Christians, were dying by thousands. Something must be 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 Wilson, obtained the necessary authorisation, and, when the first American troops embarked for France, a detachment of Salvationists, equipped with everything necessary, went with them, i By the month of August, 1917, the American Salvation Army had spent ! 900,U0t)dol in installing 383 hut on- ' canipments and reading rooms, 70 can- ' teens, 35 ambulances. And that was only a beginning. The work acconi- | plished during these difficult years, ma- | terial as well as spiritual, is inestim- j able. And Evangeline Booth was the I 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 the Salvation Army during the war. In addition to this tribute the whole country joined in sub- , scribing 13 million dollars for the ■; charitable institutions of the Army in ' the United States. ’ j Thus it will be seen that although | she, has known tribulations and perse- i eutioiis she has been the recipient of i great honours. A guest of the White I House, she lias also been the guest 1 of the .Emperor of Japan; the University of Massachusetts has conferred on 4 her the honorary title of doctor; she j has received the Fairfax Gold Medal \ for “ eminent services rendered to the e country”; the King of Sweden deco- t rated her with the Gold Medal of 0: Wasa for “ services rendered to the c

Swedish population of the Unitec States”; Queen Mary embroideret with her own hands a garment to lx put ii]) for sale by the Salvation Army: the wife of President Taft worked a flag. On December 3, 1934, Evangeline Booth was elected General of the Salvation Army. The responsibility of the five continents now rests on hei shoulders. She only carries herself all the straighten More than 20,000 persons crowded into Madison Gardens on the day when the General took leave of the United States. The Attorney-General, delegated by President Roosevelt, the Mayor of New York, Bishop Manning, numerous members of the clergy, the business world, bankers, lawyers, and several generals assisted at the moving ceremony. And when the s.s. Majestic bore Evangeline Booth away to her new functions there floated from it an eytra flag which was not the flag of any particular nation but that of entire humanity, the crimson flag of the Salvation Army, bearing the words “ The World For God ” Since she lias become General, Evangeline Booth has not slowed down her activities. Absolutely tireless, she travels from country to country, stimulating the zeal of her officers, enrolling 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 he the first up, ready to start another day. When in England the General lived n a little house in the outskirts of London. An early riser, she eats sparugly and takes as much exercise as mssihle in the open air. Swimming md riding have remained her favourite ports. Tier days are given up to cork: in the evening, when she is not reaching, she reads, writes, com)oses hymns, or plays the harp. She lever goes to bed without a pencil nd paper beside her; many of her mest inspirations are the fruits of nocuruai meditations. A life like this speaks for itself. For he vest, the General has so comletely identified her aims and ideals itli those of the Army that the greatst compliment one can pay her is a praise the work to which her father, er whole family, and herself have [msecrated their lives.