Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1918 — Solving Problems of Supplying Our Sailors and Soldiers With Food [ARTICLE]

Solving Problems of Supplying Our Sailors and Soldiers With Food

By EDWIN F. BOWERS.

M. D, of dx Viggaatei

The vexing problem of supplying our soldiers and sailors with the vegetables so necessary to preserve them in a condition of health is nor solved. t , - / It merely requires that we leave the water at home and let the army cooks ad,d it to the ration when they wish to serve the vegetable. All potatoes, turnips, cabbage, onions—in fact, every conceivable variety of vegetable—goes through a process of cleansing and whatever “skinning” is required. After this they are shaved, sliced and otherwise subdivided. Then their water content is driven off in temperately heated ovens. x • • * The 78 per cent of water carried by the mild-eyed potato, the 87 per cent of beets, 88 per cent of carrots, 73 per cent of parsnips, 91 pet* cent of radishes, 89 per cent of turnips—and so on, through all the hat of available vegetables —is simply left at home. What the soldier will finally get will be all the cellulose, cell salts, vitamines and nutritious matter contained ip the vegetables—with the water added in France or in his own camp kettle. The “fodder” retains all the delicate flavor of fresh vegetables, and is succulent, tender and tasty: r- . George T. Eenke of New York and other experts on food problems compute that the adoption of this form of ration with the army and navy will save the country, on transportation alone, $19,000,000 during the war. Hundreds of motor lorries and thousands of men now engaged in handling canned water-r-with 20 per cent or less actual food held in combination —could be released for more important service. As the desiccated material weighs on an average of only one-fiftieth as much as the canned or whole vegetables, it can readily be computed that one ship loaded with scientifically prepared food could carry as much actual food material as could fifty ships loaded in the old unscientific way. It remains only for the government to give official sanction to the adoption of a food plan that has such a vital bearing upon the transportation problem, and that at the same time*provides our boys with a more complete and more diversified health ration. And it is to be hoped, in the interest of our country’s great needs, that the necessary sanction will not be long withheld.