of decent women, and the one hundred and one factors that go to make a decent and reputable life; but you have, in the long run, to recognise the fact that a percentage of men are certain to seek women who are prepared to cater for them.  If the steps indicated are taken, the proof is absolute that the disease can be practically extirpated and without great difficulty.  The failure of prophylaxis depends on two factors—­firstly, it requires someone charged with responsibility, earnestness and high character to explain to men precisely what they are doing and what it means; and secondly, prophylaxis is of very little use to drunken men.  My experience has been that when these precautions are properly used venereal disease may disappear.”

That proved to be exactly my own experience in the army.  Failures in the army were due to the absence of proper personal instruction of the men and the laxity of control, and these conditions can always be assumed to exist in any army having a high v.d. infection rate.—­E.A.R.]

Nevertheless, the people who would put sacerdotalism before science, and the still meaner minds who would substitute legality for morality, raised storms of objection to my work, in the midst of which came a few strong, clear calls of understanding and encouragement.

One Scotch padre wrote me in 1918:—­

     “It is a magnificent adventure for a woman to go practically alone
     on the very edge of things, and I salute you, and congratulate you,
     and wish you God-speed.”

An old family doctor, then with a colonial ambulance, wrote:—­

     “Many women ... will owe their health and happiness to you, and not
     a few will be indebted to you for their lives.”

The editor of the Sydney Bulletin (Australia) was continually publishing helpful articles and paragraphs—­after my letters and articles were censored;[M] and from Dr. W.H.  Symes, of Christchurch, New Zealand, I heard by personal correspondence steadily and wisely all through the war.  Much later came the following tribute, in a most valuable book written by Sir Archdall Reid and Sir Bryan Donkin ("Prevention of Venereal Disease,” published by William Heinemann (Medical Books) Limited)[N]:—­

“Sir Bryan Donkin’s letter, which appeared in The Times, in January, 1917, and other communications which he published as opportunity offered, brought him an introduction from Sir J.W.  Barrett, M.D., then serving as A.D.M.S. with the Australian Force in Egypt, to Miss Ettie Rout, who, by profession a journalist, had come with the Australian and New Zealand Forces with the object of ameliorating, as far as possible, the hardships of war.  She had been horrified by the pestilence of venereal disease which broke out among the troops in Egypt, England, and elsewhere, and, with extraordinary resolution and courage, had embarked almost single-handed on a campaign of prevention.  She furnished Sir