Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 310, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1918 — AMERICAN NAVY BEST FED AND BEST CLOTHED [ARTICLE]

AMERICAN NAVY BEST FED AND BEST CLOTHED

High Standard Is Being Main- ■ tained Despite High Cost of Materials. - • • COST IS SECONDARY MATTER . I Good Nourishment • and Palatability First Consideration in Selection of Food—Uncle Sam Goes Step Beyond Other Countries in Providing for Comfort of the Men. J , By JAMES H. COLLINS. ' Washington.—A British naval officer ■who has been doing teamwork with the American destroyers in the 'subma- , rlne zone said the other day: “There are just three point® upon which I would want to criticise Uncle Sam's sailors: First, they are too well fed; second, they are z too well clothed; third, they are too well paid.” “The best fed body of men In the world,” our navy has been pronounced, and the figures just, compiled for the navy ratioq this year show that the high standard has been maintained, despite the rise in the cost of food articles, with very little extra expense to 'Uncle Sam. War has added some complications Ito the task of feeding ‘the navy, for the number of men has suddenly increased from about 64,000 to more than 200,000, and hundreds of small patrol boats ahd submarine chasers have been manned by our sailors on duty in coast defense districts and elsewhere. Uncle Sam has been .able to maintain his navy diet economically by large purchases for the increased forces. Uncle Sam feeds his sailors, not exactly regardless of cost, but with cost always the secondary consideration. As Admiral McGowan, paymaster general of the navy puts it: “Cost is a by-product.” What the sailor eats is . governed by the revised statutes, whlcif specify the quantities of the various food staples which may be issued to each man in the naval service, and good nourishment and palatability come first, with cost figured out at the end of the year after the men have been fed. Increase in Cost. The navy ration ” for 1917' cost $0.4405 as against $0.37648 for 1916. » These mystip decimals indicate an Increase In the average cost of the ration of about 20 per eeqfc over the preceding year. Statistics compiled bp the department of labor show that there was an increase .of 40 per cent in the wholesale prices 6f the principal items of food. Had the navy ration increased in cost to the same extent, the outlay would have been slightly over ' $4,000 a day more, or $1,500,000 more on the year, which may be regarded as money saved. z . 1 The navy’s high standard of diet was maintained with economy by the rigid enforcement of the regulations prohibiting the purchase of patent and ' proprietary foods; by closely scrutinizing all reports Of the survey of provisions rendered unfit for use, so that all causesJtor loss could be eliminated; by InveAdgatton In every case where ships operating under the same conditions . showed a marked difference in the cost of the ration; by making cakds, pies, ice cream, arid so forth, on board ship, instead of buying them ashore; and by • care in buying provisions at seasons when they were most plentiful, and the best’ prices could be obtained. The navy ration is as much a matter . of pMde to the officials who have it in •charge as are the marksmanship records- of officers of the fleet. —* Schedule of Week's Meals. Believing that the “proof of the pudding is in the eating,” the navy subnets a complete weekly schedule of ■peals served to the enrolled men on board a battleship at sea, the provision® being furnished by a supply ship, so that this schedule may be taken as •'yn illustration of what is accompllsh-

ed in feeding the navy under the most difficult conditions: MONDAY. Breakfast—Fried bacon, fried eggs, toast, rolled oats, milk and sugar, bread, butter, coffee. Dinner—Veal fricassee with dumplings, mashed potatoes, kidney beans, apple pie, bread, butter, coffee. Supper—Vegetable soup, crackers, roast ribs of beef, onion gravy, ginger cake, jam, bread, butter, tea. TUESDAY, Breakfast—Fried bologna, fried pota-. toes, rolled oats, milk and sugar, bread, butter, coffee. Dinner—Vermicelli soup, crackers, mashed potatoes, kidney beans, apple pie, bread, butter, coffee. Supper—Fried .hamburger steak, fried onions, lyonnaise potatoes, cocoanut cake, fruit jam, bread, butter, tea. WEDNESDAY. * X ‘ ' Breakfast Cereal, milk, and sugar, baked beans, tomato catsup, ginger cake, rolls, bread butter, coffee. Dinner—Chicken soup, crackers, roast chicken with sage dressing, mashed potatoes, creamed carrots with peas, jelly layer cake, ice cream, bread, buttei, coffee. Supper Salmon salad, mayonnaise dressing, baked macaroni and cheese, rice custard, bread, butter, tea. THURSDAY. Breakfast Broiled beefsteak, onion gravy, iriasjied potatoes, , chilled sliced pineapple, bread, butter, coffee. Dinner—Breaded veal cutlets, tomato Catsup, French fried potatoes, mashed turnips, mashed potatoes, apple pie, bread, butter, coffee. • Supper—Railroad hash, tomato catsup, apple cake, hot rolls, bread, butter, tea. FRIDAY Breakfast—Grilled frankfurters, griddle cakes, sirup, fruit jam, bread, butter, coffee.. Dinner—Tomato soup, craekers. creamed codfish on toast browned potatoes, mince pie, bread, butter, coffee. Supper—Roast loins of beef, brown gravy, mashed potatoes, chili beans, peach cake, bread, butter, tea.

SATURDAY. Breakfast—Boston baked beans, tomato catsup, coffee cake, bread, butter, coffee. Dinner—Breaded loin pork chops, mashed potatoes, lima beans, sauerkraut, peach and apricot pie, bread, butter, poffee. Supper—Veal currie with chicken, boiled rice, bread pudding with sauce, bread, butter, tea. • - SUNDAY. Breakfast—Fried corned-beef hash, griddle cakes, sirup, bread, butter, coffee. Dinner—Roast loins of pork, sage dressing, browned potatoes, stewed lima' beans, cottage pudding, lemon sauce, Ice cream, bread, butter, coffee. Supper-Cold sliced, maats, potato salad, French dressing, &>ld beans, jam, bread, butter, tea. Matter of Clothing.

In the matter of clothing war has brought the navy even greater activity/ This winter for the first time in mtfny years Uncle Sam’s Jack tars require heavy winter clothing. For in the peaceful wipters since the Spanish war most of our warships have spent the cold months in the West Indies, where chiefly the lighter summer clothing was adequate and the amount of heavy winter clothing required very small. ' : Take the old navy of 64,000 men, increase it in a few months to more than 200,000, it into the chill, damp climate of the submarine zone off the British isles, from latitude 20 straight up to latitude 60, and anyone can see that a whole new scheme of clothing is required. Just the other day the navy was compelled to issue a statement on this point to discredit rumors that its men in northern waters were inadequately clad and that thousands of patriotic women would have to knit sweaters, socks, mittens, and other heavy woolen garments for them.- Nothing to it! Admiral McGowan started knitting sweaters early lash spring, when the first division of destroyers was sent to European waters, and as a clothier and furnisher for the navy he has been able to set a gace which left volunteer knitters far behind months ago. The navy’s new scheme of winter clothing is on a scale of magnitude, variety, and fitness far beyond anything that could be attained through volunteer

effort, commendable as the latter maybe. .-.*■> >»' Keep Jackies Warm. Each sailor serving In European waters will have an outfit of special clothing designed not only to keep but the cold, but also windproof and waterproof. Careful studies were made' of the heavier winter clothing worn by sailors in every allied fleet, and also the special warm adjustable garments used by avfatdrs flying at altitudes of 15,000 to 20,000 feet on the western front, so that the American sailor will not only be as di-y, watm. and comfortable as "sailor ever was, but will have the freedom of movement and absencel of the sense of weight enjoyed by the birdmen. The winter outfit consists of a windproof suit with hood. the4>utside of which is made of Imitation leather and the inside lined with sheepskin with the wool left on. His feet will be protected with heavy arcties to be worn over ordinary shoes, and if he serves on a destroyer these will be replaced with heavy leather sea-boots. His hands will be kept warm with heavy woolen mittens, and underneath he will have heavy woolen undershirts, drawers, socks, and finally a thick woolen blanket overshirt with an additional hood. This is the standard winter outfit for general use, and every condition of service and weather will be met by every type and weight of garment designed from the sailor working on deck in ordinary cold climates to the special outfits for navy aviators. i . Free of Charge. ( Uncle Sam has not oply adapted every good idea in winter clothing found in other navies, but his added Improvements to his own, and on top of that is issuing these winter clothes to.thf/men free of charge for their use as long as they are exposed to weather where* the regulation navy uniforms are not adequate. Getting this winter clothing ready in time, upon short notice, and the disturbed conditions of| wool supply and factory facilities brought by the war was a man’s sized, job. " : • The navy has a clothing factory In New York city where it is able to supply the fleet In ordinary times with everything required In the way of winter uniforms. But when this factory was expanded to the utmost extent it could not provide emergency winter 1 garments for the navy in war. So a great many contracts were placed with outside factories for overcoats, blue uniforms, and special garments. Even then there was difficulty in obtaining materials, such as raw wool and uniform cloth, and it required vigilant, scouting of wool and textile experts to dig up the supply and see that the navy standards of quality were adhered to. Once the navy has its clothes, it can and does issue them to the fighting men on a system that is as liberal and‘flexible as any In the world. ■ No Red Tape About It There is no red tape about clothing the fleet. The ships get their .supplies of clothing for sailors without requisition, everything being- figured out for them by quantities based on the records of the bureau of navigation with ten* per cent added on so that there will surely be enough Pf everything. With an item like mittens 50 per cent surplus is furnished. Some Idea of the magnitude navy’s clothing business may be gained from the following contracts awarded by the navy department since war began: Cotton socks (pairs) .3,500,000 Woolen socks (pairs) 600,000 Shoes (pairs) ... 700,000 JerSeys; 750,000 Cotton undershirts ’..3,000,000* Nainsook drawers 1,400,000 Handkerchiefs ....4,000,000 Bath towels 950,000 Blankets ... '...... 600,000 Heavy undershirts 500,000 Heavy drawers 500,000 Watch caps 450,000 Silk neckerchiefs , 340,000 Woolen gloves (pairs) 300,000 Leggins (pairs), 300,000 Bleached twills for white uniforms (yards) 6,000,000 Blue denim for dungarees (overalls), (yards)3,ooo,ooo Heavy canvas for sails, awn- . Ings, covers, hainmocks, * cots, etc. (yards).4,ooo,ooo Mattress covers 400,000 Heavy overcoats 250,000 11-ounce cloth for shirts and jumpers (yards) 1,500,000 Trousers doth (yards) 1,250,000