第79部分(第5/7 頁)

here　is　a　wish　to　set　up　y（r）　Report　in　order　to　shoot　at　it！　That　is　hardly　what　you；　or　we；　were　led　to　expect。　However；　I　expect　to　be　in　Town　on　Friday　and　will　consider　what　can　be　done。　The　matter　is　so　important　that　we　must　not　unduly　hurry　it。

My　own　feeling　is　that　Gov（t）　has　already　ceased　any　serious　intention　in　this　matter　—　they　are　practically　in　a　state　of　suspended　animation。

I　must　see　you。　The　General　does　not　expect　to　be　in　London　until　the　end　of　this　motor　campaign　—　Sept。　9th。

Very　f’fully；

W。　Bramwell　Booth。

H。　Rider　Haggard；　Esq。

There　is　a　mass　of　further　documentary　evidence　on　this　question；　but　probably　the　above　examples　will　suffice　to　explain　everything　with　sufficient　clearness。　Such　letters　are　valuable　records　which　cannot　alter　or　gloze　the　truth。　I　have　only　to　add　that　old　General　Booth　was　personally　very　indignant　about　the　treatment　which　my　Report　received　—　so　indignant　that　he　refused　to　appear　to　give　evidence　before　the　mittee。　Indeed　his　people　would　not　allow　him　to　do　so；　because　they　said　they　were　sure　that　he　would　lose　his　temper。　More　than　once　he　declared　to　me　in　his　fierce　way　that；　from　knowledge　in　his　possession；　he　was　well　aware　that　the　appointment　of　this　mittee　was　“a　put…up　job。”　He　and　the　late　Mr。　Wilson…Fox　used　to　travel　up　to　town　together　in　the　mornings；　and　I　imagine　that　from　him　he　extracted　a　good　deal　of　information。　Also　he　had　other　means　of　getting　at　the　truth；　for　the　Salvation　Army　has　many　friends　in　high　places　and　among　the　various　parties。

That　is　all　I　have　to　say　about　this　fiasco。　My　Report　was　destroyed；　the　divided　remendations　of　the　Departmental　mittee；　such　as　they　were；　were　never　acted　on：　in　short；　all　came　to　nothing。　Mea