SALVATION ARMY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20228, 12 April 1929, Page 11

SALVATION ARMY.

TRIBUTES TO THE FOUNDER

CENTENARY OF HIS BIRTH

Australian Press Association—United Service (Received April 11, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless. LONDON, April 10. Tho 100 th anniversary of tho birth of William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, was celebrated to-day in almost every capital of the world. In some European countries, including Britain, leading members of the Government- took part in the celebrations. The Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, who was accompanied by his wife, presided at tho Albert Hall celebration this evening. Thousands of Salvationists enthusiastically cheered a pageant. This illustrated the rise and progress of the Army fiom tho moment the white-bearded survivors of William Booth's original Christian mission, founded in 1865, stepped into tho arena, until tho various phases of slum work, social activity, emigration, industrial colonisation had been comprehensively reviewed.

Mr. Baldwin said: "The Victorian age is unpopular to-day because, despite its faults, its numerous great men had faith, goodness, moral earnestness and a sense of duty. Their work for human souls will last to eternity. Their critics will be forgotten with their generation. "William Booth was one of the greatest of men. lie was bofh a Conservative and a reformer. He believed in tradition and novelty, which he applied in his teaching of the Gospel. He realised that religion was fundamental and faced the fact of evil of which wo are afraid to-day, having banished the word 'sin' from the dictionary. Nevertheless, the ugly fact remains. "Wo have to thank God for- William Booth, whom all Christendom recognises as one of the world's great religious leaders." General E. -J. Higgins, head of the Army, the Bishop of Willcsdcn, Dr. W. W. Pcrrin, and Dr. Phillips, president of the Free Church Council, gave addresses on the religious and social work of the Army. No members of the Booth family were on tho platform. They received only ordinary tickets of admission to the hall.

William Booth, who was horn on April 10, 1829, founded Iho Salvation Army as a religious philanthropic organisation. In 1865 he began to hold meetings for preaching in the streets of London, and in tents, music-halls, theatres and other hired buildings. Largo numbers of people attended, many of whom had never entered a place of worship, and presently an organised society was formed called the "Christian Mission. Booth was assisted by his wife, Catherine, a woman of remarkable gifts, who won for (he new movement the sympathy of many among the cultured classes. In 1878 the mission, which had spread beyond London, was reorganised on a quasi-military basis, and the title of the Salvation Army was definitely adopted in June, 1880. The local societies became "corps" and their evangelists "field officers." with Booth as "General" of the whole body.

The spiritual operations of the army at once expanded rapidly in spite of much disorderly opposition in some places. In 1878 (here were 75 corps and 120 officers in the United Kingdom, (he amount contributed by the outside public being £1925.