Salvation Army
an organization, formed on the model of an army, for evangelizing evangelizing the masses in large cities; originally known as the Christian Mission; founded at Mile End, London, by the Rev. William Booth, July 5, 1865.
From 1872 to the present the movement has spread and is now represented in 66 countries. In 1918 there were 10,591 corps and outposts, 1,246 social institutions, 17,476 officers and cadets, 68,676 local officers, and 31,400 bandsmen.
The organization issued 76 periodicals with 1,210,000 total copies per issue. The total number of its social institutions was 1,246, including food depots, shelters , industrial homes, labor bureaus, inebriates' homes, children's homes, rescue homes, and maternity homes. Almost 6,500,000 beds and 17,500,000 meals were supplied.
The labor bureaus received 82,475 applications for work and found 75,730 situations. In 1919, in the United States, there were 1,000 corps and outposts; 3,000 officers and cadets; 75 hotels; 92 industrial homes; 11 slum posts and nurseries; 25 rescue homes and maternity hospitals. In 1919, $14,000,000 was subscribed. In all the large cities of the United States SALVE Christmas dinners are provided for the poor and needy. Evangeline Booth is the Commander-in-Chief in the United States.
The international offices are in London, England. William Bramwell Booth, eldest son of the founder, is general of the entire organization. During the World War the very extensive welfare work for soldiers and sailors and their families, undertaken both at the fronts and at home, was notably successful. See RE- LIEF, WAR.