The herald., 1896-03-30
NOT FELT IN LOS ANGELES
LOCAL SALYATlONlSTS NOT AFFECTED
BY THE BOOTHS DETECTION
Staff Captain Thomas Says There Is No Break
in the Ranks, Nor Does He Anticipate
Any Regards the Commanders Re-
signation as a Great Mistake

The Salvation Army keeps up it's work
in this city. and il there is any internal dis
sension in the ranks, owing to the detection
of Commander Ballington Booth and his
wife, it has not yet reached southern Cali
fornia. Never before has the army been in
such a prosperous condition, and never be-
fore have the local corps been in better
shape than at the present time. The bar
racks on South Spring street are well filled
at every meeting, and what is known as
the SOCIAL work of the Salvationists is
being extended and its scope enlarged.
A HERALD reporter called on Staff Cap
tain James Thomas, i'll command of South
ern California and Arizona, yesterday
afternoon at the close of the meeting, to
get an authoritative opinion as to the prob
able effect of the Ballington Booth defec-
ton on the army in this section. Captain
Thomas, who has been located in Los An
eeles about a year, is very energetic man.
good talker and evidently man of
marked executive ability. He talked very
freely on the question, and in answer to
questions said that, so far as he
had been able to ascertain, there had
been no break in the ranks in his
command, of course there might be iso-
lated cases, but he was certain that there
was no possibility of anything like a gem
erai division. He expressed the highest
regard for both Ballington Booth ana his
wife, both OF whom, he said, had done
great work in the past, and their resigna.
tion, or rather desertion, was a source of
general regret in army circles. They had
many friends in the army throughout the
United States, but he did not believe that
any considerable number would follow
them in their new movement.
When asked his reasons for this belief,
Captain Thomas said that all the teach
ings and laws of the organization were
against any such movement. The army
rnd< nil I,oct
and obedience to orders was one of the
cardinal principles. When a man joined
the army, he promised to obey the oders
of his superior officers without question.
and Ballington Booth had always insisted
on absolute obedience from his subordi-
mates. He considered that the commander
had made great mistake in resigning un-
der the circumstances, and he was in hope
that he would see the error Of his way and
return to the fold. The Salvation army.
said Captain Thomas, was not a national
affair. 1t was worldwide, and its MEM
bers pledged themselves to be all things
to all men. The members of the army
were always taught to be loyal to
the government, and while there
might be more patriotic body of men
than the Salvation army, he did not be-
lieve it. If a salvationist went to India, or
China, or any other foreign land, he was
compelled to adopt the costume and live
WIG iiiC Vi tuc pcOplcS as IL was ny tuiS
means that the masses were reached.
hence, when Ballington Booth talked of
nationalizing the army in the United
States, he was simply making an excuse
to cover his own obedience. Capt Thomas
said that he did not think tina. the army in
the United States would be seriously af
fected. When man joined the United
States army he did not attach himself to
any particular general. He joined the ar
my, and it was his duty to obey his orders,
no matter by whom they were given.
Captain Thomas said, SO far as he had
heard, not one single one of the principal
officers OF the army had followed Balling-
ton Booth, and in his district he was cer-
tain there had been no defections.
Strict obedience to orders was necessary
for the existence of the Salvation army, as
it was only by this could discipline be
maintained. All members of the army
had to take the same pledge of obedience,
after having given the order for his re-
moval. General William Booth had with
drawn it, he would have had serious trouble
on his hands. for if one member of the
army could disobey orders, others would
think that they could do the same thing,
and that would have been the end of dis
cipline. When BaIlington Booth was re-
moved it was part of grand International
move. All of the leading officers were
changed about; there was nothing special
about it, and for that reason no complaint
should have been made.
In conclusion Captain Thomas said that
while the detection of Ballington Booth
was unfortunate, the army did not propose
to allow it to cripple its usefulness, and
they would 60 on in the future, as in the
past, on the lines as laid out by the head of
the organization.
Captain Thomas said that there are now
about 700 members of the army in his dis
trct. He had no fault to find; everything
was moving along smoothly, and the af.
fairs of the army were in a prosperous con-
dition.