SALVATION ARMY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 43, 5 October 1911, Page 7

SALVATION ARMY.

* LIFE OF GENERAL BOOTH. LECTURE BY COLONEL EQIKENSHAVV. In the Town Hull Tuesday night Col. Birkenshaw, of the Salvation Army, delivered a lecture on “The Life and Work ot General Booth.” Mr. N. ,J. King presided, and the splendid audience appreciated the., excellent discourse. Licutenant-Lblonel Birken-

shaw is one of the most interesting speakers in the Army, and has been associated with General Booth for over thirty years, tie has travelled in many lands, so that few men are more qualified to set' forth the many

phases or liie, Having both intimate Knowledge anti also tne gift of uttering trio reflections of an original mind in a powerful manner. The lecture was full of pathos and instruction, interspersed with bright flashes of humour, which, from start to finish, brought out expressions of applause and appreciation. Many of the Colonel’s incidents wore from Cockney life. They were most quaint, and at the same time carried with them deep-ly-ing truths of intense interest.

The Colonel aptly' described General Booth as a Napoleon of Humanity, just as Cecil Rhodes was described as the Napoleon of the South African Empire. William Booth was a man of larger stature than Ills fellows, who had lived an intenser and wider life, possessing the aspirations of a whole epoch, x and giving them powerful expression. The speaker described, tne small beginnings of General Booth’s great movement. When he started liis life-work in London, General Booth gave away his last sixpence to a poor creature who wanted food. He has boon poor ever since, and lives on a small annuity, am - *’ has never touched a penny of the Salvation Army funds for his own use. General Booth derived £10,00(5 profit from his book “Darkest England,” and every penny was handed over to the funds for the relief of the poor. “The Life of Service,” said Colonel Birkenshaw,- ■pis imperative. In so far as you yourself are better than your follows—bolter■ ih bk/od, brain, ability , —just so far are you under the heavier obligation to do for others. It is love, and not enlightened self-in-terest that is the motive of life. Usefulness is the ohly right to possession —service the only standard of life. Tom Carlyle, the Chelsea Sage, said ‘Oh, Heavens! If we could see an army 90,000 strong maintained and fully equipped in continual and real action and battle against Chaos, Necessity and Stupidity—fighting and incessantly spearing • down and destroying falsehood, delusion, disorder, and the devil and his angels.’’A noble wish, and surely most prophetic of the Salvation Army. The Army is cosmopolitan to the last degree, and on the banner of Christ we read ‘All nations—one blood, one Father.’ Under the banner of the Salvation Army march the men and women who carry those mottoes into effect in fifty-six countries, and print them in millions of copies of the ‘War Cry.’ They also help men, women, and children in over two thousand noble institutions. In Now Zealand the Army has; Boys’ Homo at Eltham (one of the boys from here passed an examination, winning a gold modal—the Home is now full, and two hundred more hoys arc clamouring for admission); Girls’ Homo in South Wellington (also full). In the South Island they have a Hercue Home, Maternity Home, Prison Onto, and other humanitarian insti- ! tutions up and down the Dominion.” j

The Colonel finished amidst loud applause.

The Methodist choir sang nicely four numbers, which greatly added to the success of the gathering.. The Rev. C. C. Harrison, Methodist Church, moved a vote of thanks in Colonel Birkenshaw for his stirring address on the groat scheme. The R •ov B jfetson seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation. Adjutant Gray moved a vote of thanks to the chairman and the choir and this also was carried.

’The singing of the Doxology concluded the meeting.