VI
ENGLAND'S ANSWER TO THE CALL
The war drew from civil life into the British army and navy countless men who had to face undreamt-of hardships and dangers for which they were quite unprepared. From north, south, east and west there came to British shores men ready to sacrifice their all for the freedom of the world. In a very short time Great Britain was turned into a vast training camp filled with men removed from all home influences and often dreading the experiences in front of them, and there seemed very little to alleviate the situation and give any real comfort and support.
Between the last months of 1914, when it was recognized that the war would not be of short duration, and the summer of 1915, many Christian Scientists had asked themselves if something special could not be done to make Christian Science available to the numbers of newly made soldiers whose needs seemed to be so desperate. At the semi-annual meeting of First Church of Christ, Scientist, a resolution was passed which eventually resulted in the formation of a committee of delegates from the churches in the London district.
The work in other parts of the country was undertaken in the early years of the war by single churches or groups of churches forming committees to super-
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