The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1929-02-01
MAILING A LIE IN ENGLAND
VETS Quote Col. Bolton" of the
Salvation Army, to Discredit Dry
Law; There Is No Such Col"


invention of evidence to prove prohibition
not only failure but menace to good
government, is shown in the following in
cident of recent occurrence in England
It appears that a Mr.. John H. Lewis,
who is persistent defender of the liquor
traffic in a large number of newspapers
in the West of England and elsewhere,
made the following statement which was
given wide publicity.
prohibition has so materially af-
fected society," says Col Bolton, head
Of the Salvation Army, Northern Di-
vision. that we have girls in our res
cue homes Il or Is years Of age, while
ten years ago the youngest was in
the early tWenties.'
The reference was to the Salvation
Army, Northern Division of the United
States.
This statement by Lewis prompted Rev.
Arthur c. Barker Bristol, to seek more
information from this Col Bolton of the
Salvation Army. He accordingly went to
Salvation Army headquarters in London
to get information concerning Col. Bolton
and to obtain his address. The most
startling discovery he made 1UdS that there
is no Col. Bolton OF the Salvation Arnly
except as he EXISTS in the imagination of
this oUer-sealouS net GdVocGte, Mr.. LelOiS.
Mr.. Barker relates his findings in let
ter to the editor of the Weston-Super-
Mare Gazette It is worth noting how
ever that this Mr. Lewis contributed this
much to the cause of prohibition, namely,
he gave the Salvation Army an oppor-
tunity to declare that its officers in the
United States are unanimously in favor
of prohibition The letter follows in full:
S5r-A1r John H. Lewis, in his attempt
to discredit prohibition, has put singu-
larry nasty suggestion into the mouth Ct
one Colonel Bolton, described as Head of
the Salvation Army, Northern Division"
The suggestion is that prohibition has led
to wholesale debauchery of young girls of
II and Is It was just about the nastiest
thing that could have been said in this
controversy.
Tt was so nasty that I gritted my teeth
and resolved to probe this accusation to
the bottom. So putting first things first,
went straight to the fountain-head. I
wrote to Salvation Army World Head
quarters in London. asking for informa-
ton about Col Bolton and the grave
charge he is alleged to have made against
prohibition had determined to get in
touch with Colonel Bolton himself, II
need be- Imagine my surprise on finding
that I could no more get in touch with
COlOIcl bOlLOIl GlIdIl Will Al4lC III WILL
derland-because both are fictional char
acters! The fact is, Mr. Editor that you
and I and your readers have been hoaXed.
Salvation Army Headquarters inform me,
above the SIGNATURE of Colonel Edgar
Tucker, that their FOREIGN Office can find
no trace of a Colonel Bolton anywhere in
America. 1--WE have no Colonel Bolton"
says Colonel Tucker. anywhere in the
Salvation Army"
Someone, therefore, is not speaking the
truth. It is not likely to be Salvation
Army Headquarters, as they are in pos
session of the name and record Of every
officer in the world. 1t is due your read
ers that Mr.. Lewis should explain where
he got the information" about this
mythical Salvation Army officer who,
quite evidently, has been invented in or
der that he may be made the mouthpiece
Of a mischevious and filthy allegation. It
would be no more than just If I were to
insist much oftener than I do upon Mr..
Lewis giving chapter and verse for the
faures and statements he quotes.
salvation Army headquarters assure
me that even If there Aad been
a Colonel Bolton he would not have
made the statement quoted by Mr. Lewis,
as our officers in America are unani-
u0ously in favor Of prohibition, as re-
suit of their observation and experiences
among the poorer classes" Therefore Mr..
Lewis can cross off his list of "auth0rities"
co,o17a coo,o oo+aJ uyif1, tho +pcf social