"The troops bear hearty testimony to the blessings these havens of rest and happiness have proved to be. Lord Kitchener himself has expressed appreciation, and there have been many other most generous expressions from highly placed officers regarding the Army's efforts on behalf of the men. A general commanding one of the great camps said, 'Please do not thank me for arranging sites for your buildings; it is for me to thank General Booth and the Salvation Army for rendering us such service. I know the value of the spiritual and moral influence which the workers of the Salvation Army exercise over the men.' The senior chaplain of a great camp applied for Salvation Army officers to go and work amongst the troops, and himself defrayed the cost of supplying and equipping a marquee for the purpose. 'Your men go for the soldier's soul; that's why I want them,' he said.
"The value of over 13,000 Salvationists scattered amongst the troops and the fleet can only be faintly suggested here. A Salvationist is trained, from the moment he kneels at the penitent form, to confess Christ by his life and testimony; and never has he taken a braver stand than he is doing to-day in the barrack-room, on ship deck, and in trench.
"The following incident, which has been multiplied a thousandfold, illustrates the power of example. A rough, illiterate Salvationist found himself in a barrack dormitory for the first time. Cursing, swearing, and ribaldry were going on all around him amongst a crowd of half-drunken, hilarious men. He knew he should kneel and pray, but never before did he understand the full significance of the Salvation Army song he had so often lustily sung: 'I'll stand for Christ, for Christ alone.' Surely it would be easier to go into action than to kneel and pray in such company! He turned hot and cold by turns, then decided: 'Here goes,' and plumped down upon his knees. A few whistles and jeers, a boot, a pillow followed, but he did not move. The cursing gradually died away and there was silence in the room.
"Next day several men sought him out to confess that they, too, were Christians, but had not dared to face that fire alone. Next night several of them knelt to pray unmolested, and by degrees the Salvationist became the conscience of the company. A military officer of high rank remarked to one of our leading men the other day: 'I really did not know the Salvation Army until the war, but I have watched your men. Now I deliberately place Salvationists with the wilder of our spirits, and invariably find that after a week or two the tone of the company has noticeably risen.'