New Britain herald., 1929-01-17
salvation ARMY
Minus ITS HEAD

We 49, 80
Minus ITS HEAD
(Coutinued from First Page)
courts. the newspaper quoting him
- saying:
II haven't much money, but will
spend what ] have in defending my
position"
Is Sole Trustee
Discussing the question of posses
sion OF the army's huge properties.
an official at American headquarters
said:
THE position Is that General
Booth as sole trustee for the Army
has vested in him properties in Eng
land, France and Australia amount
ing to some 100000 and it is nee
essary that he should execute deed
to divess himself OF that trust. If,
unfortunately, the general should re-
fuse to do this, it will place upon
the council the onus of initiating
proceedings in the high court to
settle the matter. This is bound to
create very painful position.
To Elect Commander
"At any rate. whatever the gen.
erals attitude may prove to be When
a deputation sees him today, the
council will reassemble tomorrow to
elect q new commander. The first
candidate to receive a two-thirds
majority will automatically become
general and will be protected by the
deed poll from any question raised
subsequently as to a flaw" In the
summoning, constitution or proceed
ings OF the high council. 1t is pro-
foundly to be hoped that General
Booth will accept the position. but
in any case nothing he can do will
affect the status Of the new general
once he was been elected.
1t was said at Army circles at
sunbury that the three most likely
nominees for the post Of general
we're Evangeline Booth, the Amerl-
can commander; Commissioner Ed
ward Higgins, the chief-of-staft, ana
Commissioner Lamb.
Wife Distressed
Mrs. Bramwell Booth, accompa-
MED by Colonel Mary Booth. motor
ed back to Southwold this morning.
The GENERALS wife when approach
ed by newspaper men as she was
leaving sunbury. appeared distress
ed. What can say?" she MUIR
INJURED with a rather piteous smile.
During the long night session OF
the council there was a dramatic IN
cident when Catherine Booth made
an eloquent ast-minute appeal tor
the retention of her father. She was
the last to address the council ana
in moving tones pleaded for the gen
eral, But it was an appeal tnat
came too late as the result was in
evitAble.
London, Jan. II R-1t was as
sumed today that the high councli
OF the Salvation Army would choose
tomorrow a successor to general
Gramwell Booth, who has been
voted unfit to command.
Foremost among those suggested
in army circles for the generalship
were Commander Evangeline Booth
his sister, who heads the army IN
the United states and led the VICTOR
ious reform element, and Commas
sioner Edward J. Higgins OF LONDON
the army's chief-of-staff.
Wait for Move
General Booths next move was
eagerly awaited. There were indlca-
tons that it would be to carry the
,isht for command to the courts. The
Daily Mail today quoted him as say
ing: -,
II haven't much money, but ! will
spend what have in defending my
position.
Nothing will induce me to retire
from the position / occupy. 1t was
and is a sacred trust imposed on me
by my father. and it is not for me to
Law it down. / should be coward
worse than a coward. skunk-1f
did so because there Is bit OF rum
pus. and I won't.
II will resist by every means IN
my power every attempt to deprive
me OF my trust"
Should the matter reach the
courts 1t was assumed that legality
OF tho councils action would turn
on what constituted unfitness.
The Daily Herald said the inter-
nretation Of the word "unfitness" de-
veloped considerable heat In the
council session. Some members OF
the delegation that visited the gen.
eral at Southwold were quoted as
expressing the opinion that he was
mentally unstable. This widened the
breach between the opposing fac
tons.
The suggestion that the general
was showing mental failure was
keenly resented by immediate MEM
beers Of his family and by his other
adherents. They cited the testimony
Of doctors on Jan. that there never
had been any question OF mental IN
capacity and that the generals in
tellect was unimpaired by illness.
The general was judged unfit by
q vote Of IS to 8 after council ses-
sion OF ~ hours. Every territorial
commander voted the general unfit,
except his daughter, Colonel Mary
Booth. The other seven opponents of
the resolution were Mrs. Bramwell
Booth, Catherine Booth, Mrs. Booth
Helberg and Commissioners Laurie,
ktchin, Cunningham and Smith.
One commissioner was absent and
not voting because of illness. General
Booth needed only Is votes, twice
the number he received. to defeat
the motion. A general can only be
removed because of unfitness by
three quarters vote of the council.
Every member of the council was
weeping. especially the aged members
who had worked long years with the