The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-08-22
Christian Scientists Aid All in
Service.
Welfare Work Conducted in IS Army and
Navy Concentration Centers.

Christian Science camp welfare work
is now being carried on in torty-tlve Army
and Navy camps in the United States un-
der direction of the Christian Science
War Relief and Camp Welfare Commit
tee of the First Church of Christ, Sclen-
fist, in Boston. There are at present
about seventy men engaged in this work,
the women serving mainly as welfare
room attendants.
Conducted at first independently, the
camp welfare work has been merged with
the war relief work which the Christian
Scientists were doing in foreign countries
before the United States entered the war
For both these purposes about one million
dollars have been raised.
The aim of the Christian Science camp
workers is to be as helpful as possible to
all the men in the camps, whether or not
they are Christian Scientists, and par
ticularly to give assistance which may
not be available at the time or place
through any of the other camp welfare
agencies, A feature of this phase OF the
work is an arrangement for keeping SOL
diers and sailors in close touch with their
relatives.
Quick Communication.
Cooperating with the committee in
Boston, there is Christian Science camp
welfare committee in each State. The
committee in the home State of soldier
or sailor co-operates by mail and tele-
graph with the committee of the State in
which he is camped or stationed to form
a direct and constant link between the
soldier or sailor and his relatives. There
by the relatives are quickly made &C
IF hoir in he
service, and he is provided with an ave-
nue. of quick communication with his
home.
This linking of home and camp, COM
bined with the personal attention of the
Christian Science workers in the camps,
has frequently been the means of chang
ing a soldiers outlook from one of gloom
to one of Joy, and not infrequently it has
proved to be the means of relieving rela-
tives of financial embarrassme 1T, the COM
mittee in the home State making loans
for use by the relatives until their boy in
camp should be prepared to forward
m oney to them.
Headings Recorded
The net result, for which the Christian
Science committees and camp workers
have received many Communications, has
been noticeable raising of the morale of
many men in the service and the develop
ment of better feeling at home regarding
the participation of their boys in the
service.
The camp workers say there is an in
creased willingness among the command
ing officers and surgeons to allow Chris
tan Science treatment for those men
who ask for it, and many Christian Sci
ence healings have been recorded. Re-
Gently, two requests for Christian Science
services in hospital wards were received
by camp workers from medical nurses,
who had observed the beneficial effects
of Christian Science treatment.
In or near numerous camps, the Chris
tian Science committees have erected
substantial buildings, with quiet places
for reading and writing, and other build
ings are in course of construction. A
light touring car has been added to the
equipment of the Christian Science camp
workers at each camp, to be used wherever
and whenever possible in assisting the
men.-Boston Sunday Advertiser, July
T. 1913