The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-20
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

 n-churchgoers of the world but it has broadened it's scope of work
 The Christian Mission,' which in 1878 had spread beyond London, was reorganized on a quasi-milttary basis, ard the title of "The Salvation Army was definitely adopted in June, 1880. The local societies became Corps and their evangelists Field officers" with William Booth as General" over the W hole body.
 The army is under the control of the general for the time being, who issues ali orders and regulations, but large powers devolve upon other officers, such as the Chief of Staff" the For eign Secretary" and the "Chancellor,' wEos direct affairs from the "Interna- tlonal Headquarters in London. The system of government is auto CT attic, "unquestioning obedience" being required throughout all ranks. The gov ernment while autocratic as re- gards the central organization, is, how ever, democratic in it's qualifications. 1he army is divided, usually in har- l niony with national boundaries, into "territores," each under "Commis- sioner" with headquarters in the cap l tai of the country. Miss Eva Booth is | the Commander" in the United States. 1 The territories are generally divided | into Provinces" and these again into "Divisions," which include number of corps each supporting it's own Cap | tain" and "Lieutenant." The sol dlers," or members. are drawn from all classes of the community. Every sol
 dier is pledged to total abstinence, and | the use of tobacco is sternly discour- aged, no one who uses the weed in any form being eligible for promotion. | It's easy to jump to the conclusion 1 that no special training is needed to be- 1 come an officer of the Salvation Army. Some people seem to think if you can l but shout and groan, and have leather l lungs to back up a carrying voice, and | know half dozen or more Bible texts, and can beat drum, or blow horn, l and have a shady past that you can | talk about that you are emlnently | qualified for becoming a captain or d l major or a lieutenant. AS a matter or | fact, Salvation Army officers, before l they receive their commissions, have to undergo course of training equal to those who got them at our training schools during the war.
 1 Those familiar with the situation in | England make the assertion that in | some respects Sandhurst is but play l ground. where a pretty game IS played l light-heartedly, as compared to the dis l cipline awaiting the young Salvation Army recruits when they go to Clap
 ton to be prepared for the lifelong war against all the powers of darkness 1 which beset and besiege the DOT sub-
 merged classes of the world "who are
 sitting in darkness" waiting for the Light of mankind.
 l I'll take up the Clapton Congress | Hall for in England it stands for what i is a part of the programme here. and
 that is to provide school to train re- cruits. Every Salvation Army officer l in London, whether you see him or her
 at the head of a jubilant regiment
 marching along the Strand or the Elm | ba nkment to some great London mass n eeting, or whether you watch him 1 with his little band in a dull, forgotten l country village, toiling along day after day, year after year, trying to pierce
 the dull indifference of the sons and
 daughters of the soil; or giving their lives unselfishly in the slums of the great cities. is trained at Clapton. 1 It's true the Salvation Army has no l trained ministry" in the sense it is
 used by the great denominations with l their endowed universities and semi
 naries, but I am sure of one thing, it would be of infinite worth to minis 1 terial students who have graduated l C.. %l. T degrees from seminary, to spend
 at least one year alongside of the of ficers turned out from the Clapton
 Training Home. It would be of much
 more service than years of book study
 about sociology.
 I am reminded of the advice a dear l friend Of mine gave to young minis l ter who came to him seeking it. The
 old saint asked the young novitiate as to his preparation. Proudly he was told that he held diploma from a (great university and a degree from a noted seminary. The older man then
 asked for statement as to his plans, l to be told that he was thinking of go- ing to the Chicago University to put in three years on "Patristic" Greek,
 Are you going to be a professor or Irreacher?" The young man answered
 
 advice for you is to join the Salvation l Army and spend a year in street l lreaching."
 It's very likely that the older man meant to shock the younger one but | believe there is happy medium be-
 tv cen those who overvalue n~educated
 ministry and those who discredit it. Let our young men who are called to
 preach fit themselves for it not merely in colleges and seminaries, but in ac- tual contact with the people as the officers of the Salvation Army are, do- ing, and there will be, in my opinion. less shipwrecks of faith over what is called higher criticism" for in seeing the needs of poor fallen women and be- s"tten men and neglected children, there will be born a divine heart burn for souls.
 William Booth was religious genius. as is shown in the marvellous
 work of the army which he founded. but wonderful as it is as an organiza- tion, it cannot be accounted for simply because of its military machinery We must seek deeper for the cause Here is the root of its growth. In speaking of the Clapton Training Home he said
 on one occasion, You have schools of art, you have colleges of music. you have universities where men and wom- en of the better classes are taught those things which will make them a
 help to the community and a grace to
 society. Now. why not. I say a uni-
 versity of humanity? That is what I