The Salvation Army is a missionary organization set on foot in England by William Booth, who was called the "General" of the army. The plan of operation is for a company to march about cities, towns, and villages, singing popular sacred songs and speaking between whiles for about five minutes. The army has also a large number of religious periodicals and small books. Mr. Booth was a minister of the Methodist New Connexion, which he left in 1861 to begin "revivalistic services" in a tent in Whitechapel. In 1865 his little band of followers called themselves "The East London Christian Revival Society," afterwards changed to "The Christian Mission." In 1869 the Mission made expeditions to provincial towns. Lastly, in 1873, the name was changed to ' 'The Salvation Army." Their literary organ called "The Christian Mission" first appeared monthly in 1874. In 1879 it was called "The Salvationist" and in the same year its title was changed into "The War Cry." Its flag now flies in thirty-four countries or colonies, where, under the leadership of 11,149 men and women, whose lives are entirely given up to the work, it holds 49,800 religious meetings every week.

It has 27 weekly newspapers and 15 magazines, with a total annual circulation of 49,015,044. It has accumulated $4,015,085 worth of property, pays rentals amounting to $1,100,000 per annum for its meeting places, and has a total income from all sources of $3,750,000. The Army literature is issued in fifteen languages and services are held in 29 languages. The number of local officers, bandsmen and office employes is 23,540. The United States branch was established in 1880. There are now in this country 536 corps and outposts and 1,487 officers, with 15,000 adherents. The value of the property held by the United States wing of the Army is $175,000.