GENERAL BOOTH IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 82, 31 December 1907, Page 6

GENERAL BOOTH IN AMERICA

ARMY' PROFRfiSS. ■■, ." ''/ ' General - Booth,' after, eight) weeks' incessant lsboux iuAiuenca, departed irottt New York fOr.CljerliQurg.eutQUte to Berlin. , A quarter of an hour before.be sailed tho scptuagenariaii'.leadcr lN afte.r''bidaiug-an affecting farewell to'his;daughter,,whom : Jio, leaves-behind as ■coinnunder.qf :the r Salvationist forces ih.-tiiis-criiitinejit, expj'es'Sed his. . doiight at'thc : prbgress':of his" great work in the United States. -.".' ■' / "'■'.' ,' : " ;/■ '•' : "The Salvation Army,"' be-v sum','. is rapidlr'adaprjiig ■' itself ■ .to ■■ the- needs .-of' this great :natidii.<,"-. . ' ■>.- '■.£.•••'•':•' : v''•■",;;■' l \ .•' ,f At' o'rto.time. I. entertained-a 1 fear, that' it would 'be' more difficult ■'hero than, in -cfther countries' to- induce the. average-.citizcuMo accept, a', religion' 1 that - dragged-: him. dowtfto a ■level,- as it iV -werd', with .the rough', for His salvation'.' 'There'' is no' fmi' : in. such .-work, butthe American, soil is becoming a splendid seed-ground' for'' the' 'highest r kind of Salvationist:'' ••'■ '•*'•'■'■•■■/■■'■ • ■' - ';.••'• ''''■: "' ■Asked about, his' health, ho replied enthusiastically, "f am ii'i' hettc rfdrrn than eight weoks-ago. - Work is my niedicinq'aswclln* my recreation;" ■'■■ A body.of Amoricai\.interviewers wore at this point ushered m. The General told thorn that if his life worei spared ho intended .-travelling-in ;[■ the •- spring., to Africa. '■ •'..-■■ . „' ... : "1 shall there," he said, ."pufvnto operation the most novel colonisation schome'.smoe Moses led the Israelites. Africa is. neither, so cold as Canada nor so.faraway as.Mstralia.It has room-for all the unemployed m Britain ,and I intend to plant them-there. A BAD:WORLD.; The übiquitous, lady reporter intervened at this point with the inevitable series of questions.on Americau morality.' is a bad world,' 'observed the. aged .evangelist, "but it is growing moro civilised every day. In' America 1 have noticed . great, .material progress," but the hearts of your men- and women are harder, tuniiug'from God. "The men are'worse than the women, for thev shoul ddircct the women. The mcn.set traps, fdrtho women. They snare their innpcence. They dazzle thorn with the.glitter of gdld. Then these women becomo trap-set*, ters in'turn, to ensnare men..' ■' . ,' , <> "The difference'is-that when tho men nr« tired of sotting traps' they go, homo tot-heir mothers ''itnd sny,' 'I am going to bo good now,' And tho mothers say, 'Come to church next Sunday.. Your father will'find you a fine position and I will get you a beautiful girl, as; wife. 1 That 'is what happens to' tho fallen man. But who cares for tho, fallen -woman ?r Only " the Salvation Ar.inyv!'. ........ .... ■ • The General's remedy for prevalent evils was.to teach' women not 'to look at .'marriage as'tlio solo''end of life, -'Lot .women'," lid" said, ;'"havo spheres of ; their own 'and leave getting married to tho Lord. He will find-them hiisjfamls if .they-need them." ,' •The ship's bclljang out, 1 , and the General parted-from tho, interviewers with a grimly humorous'assurance.that he was;sure to see them again "on my.deathbed, when'you.can snapshot, me to your- hearts'-:content." , As tho, liner, floated put on tho. broad; Jidspm .of the Hudson'thousands of Salvationists waved handkerchiefs, and ■ shouted- iii. voices'- tense with emotion fervent''.fa'roWvlls to.,their bo-; . loved'leader." • ■■■ - ■•'•-..■ ~ ,