The Washington herald., 1918-06-17
Christian Scientists as Warriors

account Of religious teaching) it
should be stated that they cannot in
woke Christian Science in any Stacker
stun. A misfit young citizen was
taken in the selected draft and came
up before one of the New York ex-
emption boards. He was as hard as
nails and hysically as fit as white
hope" He trotted out a job lot Of
excuses to get out of serving i'll the
army, and finally said he was a
Christian Scientist and that the
teachings Of his church forbade him
to fight anybody.
The chairman of the board inquired
to which Christian Science church he
belonged. The man named the church.
and tho chairman got some one in au-
thority there on the telephone and
told the -slacker's story. Back Came
the reply:
you about Christian Science is true.
! and your board may as well under
stand now that no one who tells such
a story 10 a Christian Scientist or.
with such views, could be- The Chris
tian Science denomination is with the
entente allies in winning this war.
! and winning it just as quickly as
possible. We are in 1t to a finish with
| our men and our money and all the
] strength that the teachings Of Chris
7 tian Science can give to a just cause. 1"
The Stacker ceased to slack.
Every Christian Scientist have
met in this investigation seems the
happiest individual I ever have en-
countered. Indeed. they hold that it
| Is an error of mortal mind to be un-
happy. and that it is absolutely I'M
possible for human being to be
unhappy IL he is in harmony with
God. That happiness card is one Of
the trumps that the Christian Science
| workers play at the training camps.
In just as short a time as POSSIBLE
! after a Christian Scientist arrives at a
camp, one Of the workers makes his
acquaintance. He is asked whether
| he is comfortable or needs anything,
permitted by army or navy regula-
tions. that can make him more COM
Portable. Whatever he asks for that
is proper for him to have he gets.
gets quickly and gets with one of
those pervasive and expressive Chris
/ tian Science smiles.
Then he is asked how things are at
| home, whether the home folks are
likely TO want for anything while he
Is fighting. II he can think of any
thing that his family does or may
| need, he tells the story. the address
| of the family Is taken, the address is
! forwarded to the Christian Science
| Church nearest the boys home,
somebody from that church is direct
ed to visit the home, and, from that
moment, that family will want for
nothing until the boy comes home
| The boy in camp knows it, his mind
is at rest. and he hasn't anything to
do thereafter but to learn to be a
soldier. put his education behinds the
guns "over there" and-be happy.
| 1t is possible to realize, and with
no great mental effort. that an Amer
lean soldier overseas. certain in his
mind that all is well at home, and
having neither camp crouch nor
trench crouch, will fight harder and
more intellieently than the soldier
whose mind is troubled and dis
traught. II that be true, then the
Christian Science brand Of happiness
handed over to the rookie in the
training camp makes for fighting ef'
| ficiency. II it does, more power to it!
Congress ought to make special ap-
| preparation for its general distribution
| And these Christian Science soldiers
meet another brigade of happiness
purveyors almost as soon as they de-
| bark from the transports. The army
/ welfare work in France and In Flan'
ders is in charge Of Paul Harsch, nine
! ilieutenants, and hundeds of assistants.
| Mr. Hasch was formerly first reader
| in the First Church of Christ, Scien-
| tist, in Toledo. AS soon as he and his
fellows arrived in France they JOINED
hands with the war relief workers
from the Christian Scientists in
France and in England. The com
bined force is formidable in numbers
and contains many practitioners. To
Mr.. Harsch':3 committee is forwarded
from this country the products Of the
| Christian Science comforts forward
ing committee. Branches Of this COM
mittee are working in every State n
the Union, the headquarters Of the
New York City branch being at Il;
West Forty-third street The Chris
ton Science women work along lines
similar to those of the women Of other
denominations and other organiza-
tions. They knit socks and sweaters
and helmets and wristlets and gaunt
let's, and they prepare comfort kits
which carry real comfort to the Chris.
tian Science soldiers "over there
II all the Christian Scientists ir
Pershing's army were brigaded to-
gether, there would be, in the belief
Of man.! persons, a surprisingly larg'
number Of fighting Americans. Bu
what kind Of fighters do they make
| That's the chief question and the one
to which all others must be subordi
mated. II the teachings Of Christian
Science are susceptible of practica
demonstration, a Christian Scientis
ought to make the most formidable
fighter who lever opposed a boche
Science and Health. with Key TO thu
Scriptures" Ghe textbook Of the de