head, and from that resolve there could be no turning back. It is
still true that 'He that saveth his life shall lose it, and he that
loseth his life shall find it.' In that great crisis, had the leaders of
the Y.M.C.A. stopped to consider first the immediate or future interests
of the Association, then the Association would have gone under, and
deservedly so. Britain was in danger, and her interests had to be
considered first.

What stirring days those were! We think of one tiny village to the
south-west of Salisbury Plain, with a normal population of two or three
hundred. Within a few days of the opening of hostilities, thirty-four
thousand men were dumped down in the immediate vicinity. They had no
tents, no uniforms, no rifles, nowhere to go, and nothing to do, for the
simple reason that England did not desire war and had not prepared for
it. The General in command had known the Y.M.C.A. in India, and came to
London to ask our help, which was gladly given. Huge recreation tents
were opened there, and all over the country. North, South, East, and
West, Britain was suddenly transformed into one armed camp, and the
Y.M.C.A. was never more needed than it was in those early days. Some of
the centres were very small, others very large. At the Y.M.C.A. in the
White City, for instance, it was no uncommon thing to see four or five
thousand men gathered together in the great hall. At the Crystal Palace,
too, and in many of the camps, the work was carried out on a very large
scale, whilst in other centres a farm building, a private house, or a
tiny tent met the need.

Thanks to the loyal co-operation and energy of Association leaders and
workers, two hundred and fifty of these centres were established within
ten days. They were dotted down all over the country, and every week
that passed by showed an increase in strength and in the number of
centres, until the sign of the Red Triangle was to be found in more than
two thousand centres in all parts of the United Kingdom, in every part
of the Empire, on every battle-front, and in some places where the
Allied flags do not yet fly. The hands of the Military in those days
were so full up with other things that they had little time to devote to
the recreation of the troops, and our help was warmly welcomed. We have
acted throughout in close co-operation with the Military, and we should
like to add our tribute of praise to the efficiency of the Military
machine, as we have come in to