Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 119, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1918 — FEEDING THE NATION'S ARMY TASK OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS [ARTICLE]

FEEDING THE NATION'S ARMY TASK OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS

Each Morning 4,000 Cattle Must Be Slaughtered to Supply Daily Ration of Fresh Beef—7,ooo Cars Required to Transport ? Month's Supply—Every Ounce Must Be Inspected Before It Is Sent to the Men.

Washington.—lt is the function of the subsistence division of the quarter corp, to f «Hi the Uotted State, army, furnishing three square meals daily to every one of the nearly 2,000, 000 men, whether in France, in tra - ing camps in this country, in the PhiHPpines, Hawaii or the Panama Canal Zone. . „ - Despite the enormous expansion or the American army during the past year, nothing has developed to mar the American soldier’s reputation of being the best-fed soldier in the world. Maj. Gen. George W. Goethals, acting quartermaster general, as head of the quartermaster corps, is responsible for the feeding of the army. The immediate responsibility, as stated above, rests with the subsistence division, which is presided over by Col. W. KGrove. The food supply of the army takes on proportions so gigantic that figures fail to give more than a hazy ideaof its Immensity. For example, 4,000 cattle must be slaughtered every morning to give the soldier his daily ration of fresh beef. Nearly 7,000 freight and refrigerator cars are required to bring the food for the present month’s supply into the camps and cantonments on this side of the Atlantic. , The soldier’s food must be all right at all times —and must be there at the appointed hour. The American fighting man in France may wait a week or a month for a new hat or any other article of equipment if he can make the old one serve, but he cannot wait a day or an unnecessary hour for his dinner if he is to be the gingery, up-and-at-’em, 100 per cent efficient soldier. Problem Long Ago Worked Out. The provision of food in such quantities and .with such promptness is not a feat that can be accomplished by sudden inspiration. It could be only the result of much thought and study. The army authorities gave the subsistence problem the requisite amount of thought and study long before the darker war clouds began to gather on the American horizon. At no time has there been serious criticism of the subsistence end of the quartermaster s department. Under Colonel Grove, or associated with him In the co-ordinated efforts of other branches of the quartermaster corps, are many well-known officers, some of them veterans of the army and some fresh from civil life, but all experts in commissary service. Back in 1898, when distinguished gentlemen on the floor of congress were apprehending that the American soldier was being pampered with a diet too elaborate, the ration for the army consisted of one and a quarter pounds of beef, eighteen ounces of bread and flour, two-thirds of an ounce of salt and one-third of a gill of vinegar. That was all, but It enabled the American soldier to dine far more extensively than did any of his foreign brothers in arms. Today the ration includes 17 food articles, each capable of extensive variation by substitution. The soldier eats them in Gargantuan quantities. Here are some of the things which Colonel Grove and his organization must provide each day In the year:

Beef, lbs. 2,000,000 Bacon, lbs. 585,000 Corned beef hash, 2-lb tins 36,400 Canned salmon, cans 41,600 Flour, 1b52,925,000 Hard bread, lbs••• 866,666 Beans, lbs 195,000 Corn meal, lbs 44,000 Potatoes, 1b52,000,000 Onions, lbs 650,000 Tomatoes, cans 163,000 Coffee, lbs 182,000 Bfckles, gallons • 7,800 Sugar, lbs 520,000 Salt, lbs 104.000 Soup, cans 28,000 Catsup, bottles 23,000 Many Subdivisions. In the Washington offices of the subsistence division there are some sixty officers and civilian experts, with the necessary clerical assistants. Under its chief the division Is divided Into operating subdivisions, dealing with sub-

slstence for the forces In the United States, subsistence for the forces oversea, food Inspection, purchase, planning, field bakeries and the like. Branches of these subdivisions specialize' in beef, In milk, In flour, in canned goods and other required foods. The proportions of single purchases are almost staggering. The other day the division was casting about for a little matter of 57,000,000 cans of soup to supply the army for a stated period. And so it goes down through some 250 items of supply running from ham to shoe strings and from metal polish to macaroni. Formerly the work of the food purchase was distributed. Depot quartermasters in various sections Of the country bought supplies in conformity with the tonq of their localized market area. Soon, however, it became clear that this function must be centralized in Washington under the control of the divisional experts. As a result the division operates along lines of high efficiency. Its system of records shows constantly the state of supplies at home and abroad, enabling it to follow any commodity from the point of production to the port of embarkation, while the volume of purchase permits direct relation with the manufacturer and the elimination of the middleman. By the application of this central control principle there was saved to the government In the purchase of ration items needed for the month of April $161,750.59. \ This centralized control Is also a factor in expeditious action. Not long ago there came from General Pershing a requisition for 24,000,000 rations to be supplied “at once.” By the terms “ration,” it should be explained, is meant the complete food supply of one soldier for one day. Within twen-ty-four hours the division had located points of production capable of supplying this large demand, had placed the orders and was able to report the fulfillment of the requisition under way.

System of Purchasing. While the buying is thus controlled; the actual purchases are not made In Washington. The purchase depots at various points telegraph to the divisional officers price quotations on supplies, with recommendations as to their acceptance. The division’s experts study them in connection with their market reports and confidential lists of prices from the big food industries. Then from the divisional offices goes the telegraphed word to'the depots to purchase or decline. From the depots the food goes to the various camps and cantonments, where It Is Issued to the fighting organizations by .the quartermaster in charge. Each company, battery or troop, each separate detachment, operates Its own kitchen with its enlisted cooks working under a mess sergeant. Here the food Is prepared for breakfast, dinner and supper. The wholesomeness of every food article must be assured before It can be placed In the soldier’s possession. The army’s system of inspection is thorough and uncompromising. It begins at the source of supply and continues until the food is actually consumed. The records at Washington show the ■capabilities, character and standard bf every establishment purveying food to the army. The inspectors know fruits, vegetables, meat and other articles of purchase. The army specifications are clear and exact. They must be met. The Inspectors make sure they are met. And the receiving officers at the depots, assuring themselves that there has been no deterioration in shipment, thus make their contribution to that continual Inspection which ceases only when the food has ceased to exist. The bureau of markets of the department of agriculture, with representatives throughout the country whose duty it is to report on conditions in the perishable food markets, gives full help to the army Inspection. The bureau of chemistry of the same department also lends its powerful assistance, carefully examining and ana-

lyzing all the foods which come Into question. Samples are frequently drawn from shipments, the analysis made and 9 the result placed on file with the Inspection branch’s central office. Any discrepancy between the original sample and delivery brings prompt action. Military Bakery Companies. The fresh bread of the army comes from the military bakery companies, those unique Institutions which, with their portable ovens, trundle along, one with each division, turning out crisp, fresh bread by the thousands of loaves, regardless of location, weather conditions, or even German shell fire. Prior to the war the strength of a bakery company was one officer and 61 enlisted men. On account of the increase in the size of a division in our army it was necessary to draft new regulations increasing the strength of the bakery company to two officers and 101 enlisted men and increasing the equipment from 12 units to 15 units, or 15 ovens. On July 16 the bakery branch secured authority to proceed with the organization of these new bakery companies. ’ On. August 20, 30 of the new bakery companies had been organized, equipped and trained, and were on hand to produce bread for the National army and the National guard. A Sample Day's Ration*. Never at any time while the drafted men were assembling—and of course they reached their camps at all hours of the day and night—were the kitchens unprepared or unready to serve a hot meal. Not since America started to go to war has the commissariat of the army broken down. The soldier, with his issue ration varied and augmented through use of the cash saving which the government fallows him when he does not draw the fqjl value of his allotted food, lives as well as or better than the average civilian. Here is the sample day’s menu—not a special day’s menu, but representative of such meals as are regularly provided : Breakfast —Oatmeal and milk, fried Hver and bacon, onions and gravy, fried potatoes, coffee, bread. Dinner —Vegetable soup, roast beef and gravy, mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, peach cobbler, bread. Supper—Beef, baked potatoes, rice pudding, tea, bread.