The Portland daily press., 1896-03-05
A CHURCH ARMY
The Rev. Mr.. Aitken Tells How the
Plan Works in England.
EPISCOPAL MINISTER'S FAVOR THE
IDEA.
Doings at Salvation Army Headquarters
commissioner Eva Booth Going to
Other Cities.

Doings at Salvation Army Headquarters
commissioner Eva Booth Going to
other Cities.
New York Times
There is already in England an organ
ization conducted under the auspices of
the Established Church on lines similar
to those employed by the Salvation Ar
my, and it is possible, as told In the New
York Times, that such church army"
may be started by the Protestant Episoo-
pal denomination in this country.
The Rev. W. H. Aitken, prominent
mission worker of the Episcopal Church
in England, is now in this city, con-
Quoting a emission" at ST. Andrews
Church, Fifth Avenue and One Hundred
and Twenty seventh Street, of which the
Rev. DR.. George r. Van De Water is rec
tor. He was visited last evening at DR..
Van De Waters house, West One Hun
dred and Twenty second Street, and
found time to talk briefly on the Church
Army in England, and to indorse its
work unqualifiedly. Mr.. Aitken has
had occasion to study its methods for
several years.
The field of the army is in general in
Great Britain" he said, "but its work
has been confined mostly to the large
cities of England. Its methods are
somewhat similar to those of Gen.
Booths army, but Its work is quieter.
,aIr uca of bon Of
forms, and such things, but there is an
attempt to avoid what sometimes seems
like vulgarity in the method of the Sal
Walton Army.
Another difference is that 1t is not
a one-man power. The Rev. Wilson
Garlic, it's leader, church of England
clergyman has charge of all branches
is known as a Council of Reference at
the head Of which is the Arch bishop of
Canterbury
DR.. Van De Water ia one of the most
earnest supporters of the idea of q
Church Army for this country.
1T is q strange thing" he said,
''that democratic America is, so far as
the Episcopal Church is concerned, more
conservative than conservative England.
Suoh rlan as the Church Army, al
ready we'll developed in England, Is very
hard to establish in this country"
One important difference between the
Church Army and the Salvation Army
is that the firgt, as its name implies, is
UNCONVENTIONAL Its aim Is to serve as
feeder for the Church, and it tries to
bring each convert ultimately into the
Church. DR.. V an De Water called at
tention to this point as one of the rea-
sons why he would welcome an Ameri-
can Church Army
II believe that such an organization
will eventually be- started here" he con-
tinued. 81 There is great need for it, and
plenty of chance for it to do good -
Bishop Potter was not in town yester-
day, but his Chaplain, the Rev. Ralph
Fl. Baldwin, added some information
as to the possibility of Church Army
in this country.
81 believe that we will some day
have an organization working within
the Episcopal Church on somewhat SINH
lar lines to those laid down by Gen.
Booth. Tho matter has received consid-
members of the Paroohial Mission Sooi-
ETY.. think the plan has been called
to the attention Of the Bishop, but I do
not think that he has looked into 1t
enough to give Q decided opinion.
1.-The great mistake of the Salvation
Army has been, believe, over.orgauiza-
tion, leading in the end to the army's
forgetting its first purpose of only serv-
ing to lead the very poor to the churches.
Mr. Baldwin referred to the Rev. f.
Canady of New Rochelle, the Secretary
of the Paroohial Mission Society He
has carefully gone over the ground, and
Is believer in the success of such a
movement in this country The Rev.
DR.. b. +. De Costa of the Church Of
u I,bv ha 81 ;a nj
thusist in the project. DR.. De Costa
recently started for Europe.
Officers of the Salvation Army at
Headq ual tiers yesterday said that in their
opinion, Darlington Booths statement
Sunday was so indefinite that it was i'm.
possible to judge Of what effect it might
have on the army.
of the Auxiliary Department., said yes
terday that there were, at the close Of
1895 6, 900 auxiliary members. To each
of these letter had been sent since the
withdrawal of Mr. and Mrs. Ballington
Booth, and about 1000 replies had been re-
ceived which might be put into three
CLASSES: first, those strongly in favor Of
the x-Com mander, and who would have
nothing further to do with the army
second, those who were awaiting fur
Their deyelopme nts, and third, those who
would support General Booth in any
event. The vast majority of those who
had not answered, Capt. Marshall
thought, belonged to the second GLASS;
Miss Booth, assisted by Col. Niool, led
peaise meeting of staff officers in the
auditorium at the Fourteenth Street
headquarters from noon until O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. There were but few
persons present outside of memb ers of
the army After that service, Col.
Niool said that Miss Booth was more
than satisfied with the reception she met
with at the meetings she attended Sun
day in Newark and at Cooper Union.
He said that she was greatly pleased
with the impartialitya and intelligence
of the audiences which she addressed.
Col Nicol said further that Miss
Booth had received many letters OF en-
couragement and promises of assistance,
which, she is satisfied, will keep tn
army in this country as stanch as ever.
Distinguished Maine Man.
Rev. S. B. Morse, D. D., has resigned
the presidency of California college at