The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-09-27
NOVEL SCHEME CONSIDERED
BRANCH OF SALVATION ARMY
FOR MISSIONARY WORK
AMONG NEGROES.

Vicksburg. Miss. Sept 26.-Accord-
ing TO Maj. J. NJ. Berriman. OF the
Salvation Army. who is making an
inspection tour of the different
posts In this section. the Salvation
Army Is considering the feasibility
OF broadening the scope OF the work
in the south so as to reach out and
benefit the negro.
Recently Mai. Berrlman was in re.
ceipt OF a letter from Col William
Peat chief secretary OF the army
commander, Mrs. Booth, written
from the national headquarters at
New York. In which Mai. Berriman's
Views about the matter were asked.
The army officers In the south at
present are attempting simply TO
elevate and help the white race. for
It is appreciated that work In be
half of both whites and blacks can
not be carried on simultaneously by
the same organization. Especially
among the classes OF whites with
whom the army workers come In
daily conflict, there Is an intense
race feeling. and were the Salvation
Army To minister to the colored
people and take the blacks in their
homes. then these would be ostra
cized by the whites.
According to Maj. Berriman the
army workers who would conduct
this work In behalf OF the negroes.
would under prevailing conditions
be forced to sever all their social
connections and would experience
considerable difficulty In getting pub.
lie support.
Maj. Berriman thinks IL would be
best to experiment first In some OF
the border cities. where the race
feeling is not so intense. There
colored emissaries could be taught
to come south and work among the
members OF their own race. These
colored workers would have to be
under command OF the white organi.
zation. naturally.
At Greenville. Miss. according to
Mai. Berriman. the Salvation Army
post had to be abolished on ac.
count of the peculiar conditions
prevailing there. In Greenville there
are few OF the poorer classes OF
white people. Nearly all OF the un
skilled and many OF the skilled
laborers are negroes. and II is among
these classes OF people that the
army usually comes in closest con
tact II was ascertained after q
trial at Greenville that more good
might be accomplished at a differ
ent point, for 1t would have beer
impossible for the army to have
generally ministered to the negroes
Naturally the army officers are al
ways ready TO assist persons. re
gardless of color. who are In des
perate need. The financial help re
ceived by the Greenvllle army pos
was sufficient to have enabled the
work to continue. had this arrange
ment seemed advantageous.
Mai Berriman's headquarters arr
at Atlanta. He has jurisdiction ovel
twenty-nine posts. situated In thu
states east of the Mississippi rive
and south OF the Tennessee. Th'
army has prospered greatly in th
south, according to Mai. Berriman
In recent years. the number o
posts having been trebled In tn
past four years. The work, too. ha
been received more kindly as II
scope became better known. an,
the older posts are continually be
coming more efficient.
The army now has posts In Mis-
sissippi at vicksburg. Natchez. Me
ridian. Hattiesburg and Gulfpor'
Scouts have been recently sent h
Columbus and Yazoo City with
view to establishing posts at thes
nainta