One who for many years had the direction of financial affairs at the International Headquarters, and who retired through failing health rather than become a burden upon the Army’s ever-strained exchequer, wrote me on November 28, 1910:—­

“The General has always taken the keenest interest in all questions bearing upon The Army’s financial affairs, and has ever been alive to the necessity for their being so administered as to ensure the contributing public’s having the utmost possible value for the money contributed, at the same time rendering a careful account from year to year of his stewardship.

“Carefully prepared budgets of income and expenditure are submitted to him year by year in connexion with all the central funds, reports are called for from time to time as to the extent to which such estimates have been realised.

“He was always keen and far-sighted in his consideration of the proposals put before him, and quick to find a flaw or weakness, or to point out any responsibilities which had not been sufficiently taken into account.

“Until recent years, when his world-wide journeyings made it necessary to pass the responsibility on to the Chief of the Staff, he largely initiated his own schemes for raising money, and wrote his own principal appeals.

     “Those who refer to The General as ’a puppet in the hands of
     others,’ or as anything but an unselfish, disinterested servant of
     humanity, only show their ignorance of their subject.”

One of the schemes by which our finances have been greatly helped everywhere, and which is now imitated by many Churches and Societies all over the world—­the Self-Denial Week, established in 1886—­was The General’s own invention.  It was at a time when, as he writes:—­

“In some Corps half, and in some more than half, of our Soldiers have been for months without any income at all, or at most with just a shilling or two.  In addition, many of our regular contributors, as owners of land or of manufacturing houses, have suffered from the depression, and have not been able to assist us further.

     “The rapid extension of The Army has necessitated an increased
     expenditure.  Our friends will see that our position is really a
     serious one.

     “What is to be done?  Reduction, which means retreat, is impossible. 
     To stand still is equally so.

“We propose that a week be set apart in which every Soldier and friend should deny himself of some article of food or clothing, or some indulgence which can be done without, and that the price gained by this self-denial shall be sent to help us in this emergency.

     “Deny yourself of something which brings you pleasure or
     gratification, and so not only have the blessing of helping us, but
     the profit which this self-denial will bring to your own soul.”