The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-03-12
GEN. BOOTH, 80 AND
FRA|L, IS TO BLAZE
TRAIL IN RUSSIA
FORBIDDEN TO CROSS FRONTIER.
He WILL MAKE FINAL EFFORT
OF LIFE-LooKs TO GAR FOR
HELP.
BY WILLIAM T. STEAD.

LONDON. March l2.-Thirty years
ago. when | first came 10 London, one
OF my first journalistic duties was 10
patrol the streets on Sunday nights
IN order TO report the attacks made
upon Salvation Army professions by
the mob.
II. those days General Booth was
regarded AS a nuisance, and Salvation.
lists were held in contempt
Now wondrous change has come
over the spirit of our dream. Since
Mr.. Gladstone's death General Booth
has become the grand old man par ex-
cellence OF Great Britain No one at
tacks the Salvation Army in the
streets and very few criticize them in
the press.
General Booth is still reported with
in inverted commas as General
Booth by the Times, but these inver;-
ed commas are almost the last surviy
ing relic of what was nearly thirty
years ago the general tone of con-
tempt used in society about the army
| saw General Booth for an hour
just before his departure for a tour IN
Scandinavia, which is 10 lead up 10
his first visit TO Russia. He Is nov
eighty years of age. He has made a
good recovery from an operation for
Cataract on one eye, but the other is
going blind. He is frail, but his spirit
is undated He is welcomed every
where. and by no one SO heartily as
by the sovereigns and statesmen o.
Europe.
Received BY Royalty.
When | saw him he had just had
an hour and a half's intimate CONVEX
sation with the Prince and Princess
OF Wales lie was in day OF two To
be received as an honored guest by
the king of Denmark. After seeing
the kings OF Norway and Sweden he
will. | hope, be received by the czar
at St. Petersburg.
Yet all these honors from the great
OF this world have cft the general =
head unturned. for his heart is ever
with the fallen and the weak. His
symDathies are much more with the
sinners than with the saints. He
loves thieves and 1runkards with the
love OF the Good Shepherd, who left
the ninety and nine in the wilderness
in order 10 seek and 10 save the one
which was lost
A Man Of Infinite Resource.
A shrewd man, with a keen sense
OF humor, who has single eye to mis-
supreme purpose, the general Is an
admirable companion, capital recon
teur and a man OF infinite tact. From
millionaires TO paupers, from kings
and presidents to reporters and coster-
mongers he has learned much, and MS
! conversation is scanned by anecdotes
and "reminiscences that have been
accommodating in his memory for the
last half century.
II hove they will allow me to enter
Russia" said he. For years | have
/ been in the list of persons who were
forbidden 10 cross the fronties. Tho
last time | went to Japan. Russia re-
fused TO allow me to travel by the
Siberian railway Even the name or
Booth was enough TO render 1t diff
cult for my daughter-in-iaw TO return
from Heisingfors last year through st.
| Petersburg.
"But now hope they understand tina.
I am not Revolutionist, nor even an
assassin. help their good, and shall
rejoice to open salvationist work
among the Russian people. Open air
meetings | know will not be permitted,
but with that exception | believe we
| snail anu llO pDHAuNiC W CaA DP~A'
| tons"
How the General Will Rest.
The general after visiting Scandi.
navia and Russia Is going TO take
rest" In a motor mission round Great
Britain, in which he will make more
speeches in a day than most parsons
do in week. and come home as fresh
as a bird. After that recreation, he
is booked for Turkey. He does not
contemplate returning to Africa. al
though the temptation OF running
across Mr.. Roosevelt on another con-
tinent would be very great.
Bat his concern, his first concern, is
ever with the poor. Its proud man
| might be this day." he said, seeing
that the royal commission on the
poor law had indorsed nearly ever2
proposal | made in darkest England
nearly twenty years ago. lf you com
pare the statement | sent To the COM
mission with its formal report. you
will be surprised to see how much
they are alike"
The report Of which General Booth
alluded is the outcome of three years
labor on the part OF royal commls-
sion. Lord George Hamilton. who
presided. has the credit OF having pro-
duced the most exhaustive report on
the condition OF the people that has
been published in England for seventy
years.
Every public library in the United
States should subscribe not merely for
the reports OF the commission, but
| for the forty volumes OF evidence
which Il is about TO publish There Is
the material for a veritable encyclo-
media Of social reform in the publica-