NEW GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1934, Page 6

NEW GENERAL

THE SALVATION ARMY

LEADER FROM CHILDHOOD

EVANGELINE BOOTH

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, September 5.

"I am perfectly satisfied with the result of the election," said General Higgins, when he hoard that Commander Evangelino Booth had been elected to succeed him. "Commander Evangeline Booth's long experience, her outstanding services, and her enthusiastic Salvationism will make her a leader to whom our people everywhere Will respond. I have no fear for the Army's future." The election took, all day, and when at eight o'clock in the evening the result .was1 announced tha General-elect, made a statement to the Press. She said she .would be back, in England'- by November 10, after Visiting America"'to give the people her blessing and farewell.

"Toil the rank and file," she said, "that lam no granger to them. There arc no strangers to me here. I woke to intelligbn.ee in this ■ city. My first activities :.were: under our flag serving with-.the''rank and file. I worked in the streets of-London with them. I passed through, all the paraphernalia of a Salvation Army procedure arpund this very building, (tit .Clapton). . . ■ "Tell the rank and file that my heart is still j tin?. "same; my spirit is as enthusiastic in. the. service of my Lord. I am fu]ly "devoted to forward the interest "of our work and:bring salvation to the people. I love the poor. I love the. working people, bijt I-cannot help feeling, being the child of tho man whose name was written upon every sky ps the poor man's friend, that. I havo a peculiar and particular love for the poor. I was borir on-"-'Christinas jj liv —never mind -tlio date, (Laughter.) I .think I came into the .world with an extra measure of charity, mercy,; and human lyndiress in my .lipart. .-This'has . been,sanctified", by the grae'Q of Jesus Christ and nursed and increased by. His love." ■■ ;,/ -.. ■ ";'- ". ■' ' ■'" '■ '-I' ■ • HIGH COUNCIL TtIANIPESTO. "When the "General-elect, surrounded,1 by Commissioners and. other officers from America,"left the building she was .received with loud, cheering. The crowd which had gathered surged to--wards the car and the .General-elect acknowledged the congratulations by waving her handkerchief. '-. A manifesto signed by all the members of tho High Council recorded their confident belief that they . had been divinely guided in the election 'and said that they accepted the result as a revelation of tho. will of God. They pledged themselves to .continue loyally to support General Higgins until he relinquishes his leadership, aid similarly assured the new General of their determination loyally to support her. They further declared their determination to maintain the constitution of the Salvation Army as set forth in the deed-poll of 1878. The Qther four nominees who stood for election were: — Commissioner Catherine Bramwell Booth, Women's Social Work in Great Britain. Commissioner Samuel Hurrcn, International Training College. Commissioner David Lamb, International Headquarters, London. Commissioner Henry Mapp, Chief of the Staff. ' -.'.". Commissioner James Hay, of Canada, and Commissioner John McMillan, Eastern Command of the United States, who were also nominated, were not willing to go for election. ' At the end of the morning session, •lots had; been drawn among the five nominees for tlie order in which they should' address the council. After lunch they made their speeches, and each, member of tho council then went separately into the screened-off portion of the chamber, where he or sho marked Ms or her vote, and put tho paper in the ballot box. ' When the first ballot proved indecisive the papers were burned in the presence of the councillors. The same procedure was then observed without any further speeches, and five times the whole of the council voted one by one until Commander Evangoline Booth had obtained 32 votes, the requisite two-thirds majority over a^l Qther nominees. As ballot succeeded ballot the tension grow among all the members of tho council. When the final'result was announced the General-elect walked round the hall •chamber and shook hands with each of the councillors. ■ THE PINAL VOTING. The "Army" solicitor then stated that, the General having been elected, tho council was dissolved and had no further function. The final voting was:— Commander Eva Booth ....... 32 Commissioner Mapp 0 Commissioner Catherine Booth 4 Commissioner Hurren ........ 2 Commissioner Lamb 0 Late on the day of the election, the General-elect issued another message to the public:— ' '"'■■'■ ''With all my heart I thank the British public for • the Joying .interest in the Salvation Army of which they have given such striking proof during the past week. London has sljown me already tonight that it docs, not forget. I have been carried back on the ' wings of memory to the days wh'en at my father's side'l fought the Gospel 1 crusade in its streets. '..' ■ "If I may adopt my father's words, I pledge myself that Christ as our great Commander-in-Chief shall have all there is of Evangcline Booth." [' Tho salary of the Salvation Army General is £500 a year, but. all expenses are paid. It is paid from a trust fund outside tho Army finances which was set up in the time of General William Booth. A REMARKABLE CAREER. Eva,ngelino Booth, fourth daughter of tho founder, played at addressing meetings while she was still in the nursery (writes a contributor to tho "News-Chronicle"). As a girl of school ago- she preached her -first sermon in tlio open street, standing upon a chair. At a time when most girls' lives are (illßi'Vwith lessons and youthful pursuits she was already one of her father's most ; able helpers in his East End work among tho poor. While still in. her teens she was made captain of a Salvation Army Corps in Hie Marylebone area, and here her groat gift for winning the hearts of men and i women unmistakably asserted itself.

For two or three years she travelled Europe, using her gifts of speech and song with great effect. At the ago of 23 she was appointed to tho command of all Salvation Army operations in London, including; the ovorsight of the International Training Colloge.

The metropolis developed an affection for her which bordered on worship, and the immense gatherings which sho addressed are often quoted today as peaks of Salvation Army achievement. When the leadership in Canada fell vacant Evangeline Booth consented to fill the position, which she did for nine years. In 1005 she was appointed to the n:\tional leadership of the Army in the United States and became "The Commander," a title which is likely to cling to her even in her new position as leader of the Army all over the world.