xii PREFACE. 



In fact,, they are content to express the very 

 modest hope that " if the suggestion made be 

 acted upon,, some hindrance will thereby be placed 

 in the way of any one acting dishonestly in respect 

 of the disposal of the property and moneys re- 

 ferred to." 



I do not know, and, under the circumstances, 

 I cannot say I much care, whether the suggestions 

 of the Committee have, or have not, been acted 

 upon. Whether or not, the fact remains that an 

 unscrupulous " General " will have a pretty free 

 hand, notwithstanding " some " hindrance. 



Thus, the judgment of the highly authorita- 

 tive, and certainly not hostile, Committee of 1892, 

 upon the issues with which they concerned them- 

 selves is hardly such as to inspire enthusiastic 

 confidence. And it is further to be borne in mind 

 that they carefully excluded from their duties 

 " any examination of the principles, government, 

 teaching, or methods of the Salvation Army as a 

 religious organization, or of its affairs " except so 

 far as they related to the administration of the 

 moneys collected by the " Darkest England " ap- 

 peal. 



Consequently, the most important questions 

 discussed in my letters were not in any way 

 touched by the Committee. Even if their report 

 had been far more favourable to the " Darkest 

 England " scheme than it is; if it had really as- 

 sured the contributors that the funds raised were 



