The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-10
Captain MASLAND TALKS.
Discusses the Present Internal
Trouble in the Salvation Army.
HER COURSE IS UNDECIDED
When the Issues Are Plainly Defined She
Will Decide and That Fearicssly.
soldiers DO Not Heed tho
Trouble rs Yet.

The soldiers Of the Salvation army in
Scranton are comparatively undis-
turbed by the turbulence surrounding
the Ballington Booths and their sup
porterS in New York city. Meetings
are being held nightly as usual in the
barracks on Price street. and there is
no indication which way the Scranton
soldiers will finally jump.
The commander of the Scranton
forces is Captain Hannah Masland, an
American born and bred young wo-
man. She is accomplished, personally
attractive and an indefatigable worker
and has won the love, respect and
implicit obedience of the eighty soldiers
of the Scranton barracks. who have
sworn allegiance to the Army. Sol
diers," i'm connection with the Aarmy. is
used In the same sense as would be the
word members in speaking of
church congregation. There are only
two members of the Army In this city
who devote their whole time to the
work. and these two are officers, Cap
tain MaSland and her assistant Lieu
tenant Nellie Green, also native
American.
Captain Masland was conducting
Soldiers" or private. meeting at the
barracks when q Tribune reporter
called there soon after o'clock last
night. Soldiers meetings are held
every Monday night. Her duties now
are doubled because of the serious ILL
ness Of Lieutenant Green, who is
threatened with pneumonia. Lieuten-
ant Green and Captain Masland live
on North Hyde Park avenue, and it
was to her sick co-worker'S bedside that
the latter was going when the Tribune
reporter asked her for an interview
concerning the Scranton forces atti
tude in khe prevailing trouble. Her
manner suggested anxiety, and. al
though she was unable to say what
course she will pursue. she plainly stat
ed that when the time came and the
different sides to the controversy had
been studied her action would be en-
phatic and resolute She said:
THE CAPTAINS POSITION.
"The papers, rather than official COM
munications from the Philadelphia
headquarters for this section, keep me
Informed of the present trouble. What
know in an official way has come
from brief letters from my supervisors
telling me of Commander Ballington
Booths and Mrs. Booths designations
and the new appointments. The SOL
diers here In Scranton know but little
of the controversy, comment and eX-
element that has been created and
their meagre information comes from
conversation with outsiders. For
tunately. their slight knowledge of the
situation has not lessened their work.
ing ardor or religious fervor. The only
way the trouble affects us Is in slight
ly decreasing the attendance of outsid-
ers at our meetings and in lessening
the sales of the War Cry.
II realize that as commander here
cannot remain neutral. When the time
comes I shall make my decision. I can
not do this for some time as ! have
been too busy to give the matter in
detail the study it deserves. Lieuten-
ant Green has been a great help to me
but now that she is SO i'll, | have to
nurse her and do the work of two. All
this has kept me too busy to investigate
the BallingtOn Booth trouble; and. be-
sides, l think 1t best to wait untiS the
issues on both sides are so plainly de-
fined that l shall not hesitate in making
UP my mind. My course will be decided
by what l consider is right and my
duty.
No. the matter has not been dis
cussed in our meetings nor do I think
the soldiers have spoken among them
selves about it in other than n casual
way. / am thankful for this: other
wise. our work would be seriously ham
pered The soldiers now give no sign
other than confidence in me. / appre-
ciate the weight of my position under
present circumstances and so shall
carefully decide what my action will
be.
II would rather not venture an opin-
ion whether the soldiers will unite I'M
approving what ! shall do. | will say
that ! have always found them loyal
and faithful in everything: l think they
will be so I'm this"
CAPTAIN WATKINS ACTION.
That Is all Captain Masland would
say and which gives no sign of what
her course will be. 1t may be she gave
an unattended hint In q reference she
made to Staff CAPTAIN Watkins whose
singing and vigorous work made her