The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-03-21


it in London and another in New York.
The purpose is to teach the doctrine
and science Of human brotherhood. All
other sciences and doctrines have their
great schools, says General Booth, and
why not human brotherhood?
Personal Description of Booth.
Whatever may result from these new
plans, this is quite a programme for a
man seventy-eight years old. Let us
consider the man himself, as I saw
him the other day in the national head
quarters building of the Salvation
Army, in New York, just after his ar
rival in this country. He is tall and
straight. He is not spare, though
somewhat angular. His frame is big.
His shoulders are broad. His head is
long, and the white hair rises almost
perpendicularly from his crown. The
long beard is still whittier. The eyes
are gray blue, soft and humorous in
their perpetual twinkle. The nose
now there is the distinguishing feature
Of General Booth. To appreciate that
graphs don't show it all. It is some
thing like an eagles beak. The tip end
Of it extends down an inch or so below
the nostrils. 1t is q wonderful nose
the most wonderful ever saw, and
perhaps in that nose lies the Samso-
MAN power of this great organizer and
commander. Lord Wolseley, himself a
nd
Booth 1.-THE greatest organizer in the
world"
General Booth is vegetarian.
though not radical one He subsists
chiefly upon rice, toast, tea, milk and
light vegetables. He works ten hours
a day, whether at home or abroad.
His staff travels with him, working
hard to keep the pace. At his home in
London the old general has a work.
shop In plain room. From there he
directs his world wide army. On the
wall is a huge map of the world. Lit
tie flags stuck in the map indicate the
location of the corps. A red flag
means that work is going on all right.
A blue flag means that the corps needs
prodding by orders from headquarters.
A yellow flag is a call for the COM
mander to visit that corps right off
and look into things, and the general
buttons up his long military coat and
takes the fastest conveyance.
Some years ago General Booth was
being entertained in an American
household where there were no serv-
ants. In the manner of the English
man at home he put his boots outside
the door when he retired at night. His
host saw them there. Some time later
he said to Darlington Booth, the gen
erals son, then in command of the ar
my in America:
II did for your father what would
not do for the Prince of Wales. I
BACKED his boots.''
Ballington Booth fell upon the neck
Of the man and Rugged him. That was
before Ballington and his wife seeded
from the Salvation Army in 1896 and
formed an independent organization
called the Volunteers of America. This
secession has been the old generals
one great sorrow. 1t is we'll known
that he brought up all his children to
take high commands, subordinate to
himself, in his army. Commander Bal
lington Booth and his wife were order
ed to transfer themselves to- India.
They loved America and rebelled
against going The commander stood
out for discipline; hence the split
An Autocrat In His Army.
General Booth is an autocrat in his
army, just as any real commander
must be. What he says goes. He is
the general. INSTRUMENTATION he will
not tolerate. His is the great execu-
tive brain that rules the ranch. "a
dozen such executive energies" says
the London Mail, "would evangelize
the world in a lifetime" If there
must be autocrats it is fortunate for
the world that this one is no charla-
tan, but an orthodox Christian with
the central idea of applying Christian
ity where It will do the most good.
General Booth, it should be remem-
bered, has not set up any new reli-
gion, such as the late Dowfe and per-
sons of that ilk have tried to do.
Booths religion is the old homespun
John Wesley Christianity, his creed
practically the same as those now
held by all the churches of Christen-
dom.
In the final analysis General Booth
Is sociologist. To the thinking world
therein lies his value. We may not
fancy his methods, the army methods,
but let us not overlook the results.
Since Booth published his book, I'm
Darkest England and the Way Out"
sixteen years ago, the thinking world
has accepted his ideas for social anne
l1oration. He deals with four classes
ch1efy-drunkards, criminals, paupers
and fallen women. These he aids to
get on their feet and walk erect. That
Is the Salvation Army's mission boiled
down.
Quite recently the general has opened
ant-suicide bureaus in London and
New York, with excellent results. He