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About fifty per cent of the American Expeditionary Forces entered France through the port of Brest. This city was France's main naval port before the war but had not much importance from a commercial standpoint. Its normal population of about 90,000 was increased to 120,000 by the influx of troops.

There were a number of camps located in the environs of Brest, and four hospitals in or near the city, one at Kerhuon having 4000 beds, another at Camp Pontanezan with the same number and Naval Bases No. 1 and No. 5 having 500 beds each, making a total of 9000.

The Christian Science War Relief Workers arrived in June, 1918. They had been supplied by the Paris Scientists with the name of one Christian Scientist, a sailor who was on a destroyer working from this base.

A note had been sent to this young man and on the second day after the arrival of the Workers he called, bringing with him a nurse who had become interested in Science before leaving America. The nurse knew of another Scientist, then a patient in the hospital to which she was attached, and of two others slightly interested. It was decided to begin services at once, so on the following Sunday the first Christian Science service ever held in Brest took place with five persons present. This number increased steadily until the average attendance reached about thirty.

Of their first experiences the Workers write:

“Upon our arrival here, we thought we had never seen so dirty a place, both morally and physically. Needless to say we were unable to find either a Room for our War Relief