By Ellen N. La Motte

The Tuberculosis Nurse
The Backwash of War

The
Backwash of War

The Human Wreckage of the Battlefield
as Witnessed by an American
Hospital Nurse

By

Ellen N. La Motte

G. P. Putnam’s Sons
New York and London

1916

Copyright, 1916
by
ELLEN N. LA MOTTE

To
MARY BORDEN-TURNER
"The Little Boss"

TO WHOM I OWE MY EXPERIENCE IN
THE ZONE OF THE ARMIES

INTRODUCTION

This war has been described as “Monthsof boredom, punctuated by momentsof intense fright.” The writer of thesesketches has experienced many “months ofboredom,” in a French military field hospital,situated ten kilometres behind the lines,in Belgium. During these months, the lineshave not moved, either forward or backward,but have remained dead-locked, in one position.Undoubtedly, up and down the long-reachingkilometres of “Front” there hasbeen action, and “moments of intense fright”have produced glorious deeds of valour,courage, devotion, and nobility. But whenthere is little or no action, there is a stagnantplace, and in a stagnant place there is muchugliness. Much ugliness is churned up inthe wake of mighty, moving forces. We arewitnessing a phase in the evolution of humanity,a phase called War—and the slow,onward progress stirs up the slime in the shallows,and this is the Backwash of War. Itis very ugly. There are many little livesfoaming up in the backwash. They areloosened by the sweeping current, and floatto the surface, detached from their environment,and one glimpses them, weak, hideous,repellent. After the war, they will consolidateagain into the condition called Peace.

After this war, there will be many otherwars, and in the intervals there will be peace.So it will alternate for many generations.By examining the things cast up in the backwash,we can gauge the progress of humanity.When clean little lives, when clean littlesouls boil up in the backwash, they willconsolidate, after the final war, into a peacethat shall endure. But not till then.

E. N. L. M.