The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-08
GOOD FOOD FOR SOLDIERS.
japanese Rations Compared With
Those OF Our Own Army.

new 1ofk Telegram.
To feed an army properly in the field
Is always problem OF much difficulty
and the greatest possible Importance.
Soldies do not fight unless they are salts
factorily fed. During the late civil war
the boys in blue were provided with
such a very liberal ration that Thack-
cray, in one OF his books, speaks OF ii
an wild extravaganza.
IL In interesting TO compare the rations
OF the United States army at present with
those allowed TO the Japanese soldiers
who are marching VIGOROUSLY through
China In respect to quantity no differ
enca liz observable. though IL would be
difficuit to draw a line on this point ow-
ing to the fact that the Japanese are
furnished with food In kind altogether
dissimilar. The staple of their diet Is
rice. which. for the sake OF convenience,
Is made up into halls. 1t is first cooked
and then compressed by means of appii-
ances shaped somewhat like lemon
squeezers. and operated on a like prin-
cipie. Thus considerable amount of
the vegetable Is condensed into compare
lively small compass.
This rice is eaten by the soldiers in va
rious ways. Most commonly II Is put
into pot with hot water and thus
subjected TO a process of reeooking in
the course of which II expands TO per
haps four times it's compressed bulk.
The balls. which are about as big as
ones two fists. are sometimes cut into
siicec, and the latter are roasted. When
there is no fire at hand or time is short.
the rice balls may be cut UP and cori-
sumed without further preparation, be-
Ing already cooked and In wholesome con-
dition.
While on the march the Japanese SOL
dlers subsist almost wholly on rice. dried
fish and canned meat. Recently a Chi
Ter lad M nrla
mense quantity or canned beef to supply
the invading army in China The SOL
dlers Of Japan all eat meat regularly.
though the diet OF the people at large Is
vegetarian. At every garrison town in
Japan beeves are slaughtered az stated
intervals Tor the soldiers. On that ac-
count foreigners travelling in the do
n1inions OF the rE.kado find Il convenient
TO be at or near a town where troops
are stationed. for otherwise they NAV
have difficulty in obtaining meat for their
tables.
The dried fish furnished to the soldiers
ara of several species. In Japan there
IL no lack OF fish, the rivers and seas
Astounding In finny game More prizea
than any other perhaps is the tai. which
resembles the white fish of our great
lakes. The common squid or cuttlefsh
which supplies the SepIa OF commerce as
vel as bones for canary birds TO sharpen
n Halt
cacy OF the first order The Jansnase
can their own salmon. which have Seesh
redGer than those OF the Columbia river
ana these fish are brought alive 10 To-
kyo In tanks for sale
Canned salmon Is n very satisfying food
aud serves well for ratious. bat +, Is far
nished 10 the soldiers only when the,,
are az hona. The same remark rrot,, bls,
applies 10 pickles. which serve as re,txhes
70 accompany the staple diet of rice
They pickle all sorts OF vewo,ah ,ae
among them a kind of turnlp that has ,na
shape OF a radish and grows TO n ,encth
OF more than three feet. When nfc,<ia,f
" me proper wey II smells 50 horribly
that no foreigner would touch II Meyer
iheless the japanese are extremely as,r-
~ as 10 their eating. They will no,
touch muttee at all. T-Rtu the portu.s
gaesa landed In Japan sheen were ,,n.
known In shst country. and warriors ,1n-
pleasant legends connected with those an
iniats Rave much 20 do with the popuiar
prejudice against this kind OF meat Jan.
aness wemen who become the r1,is,-eSsns
OF foreigners are eontempiuouaiv caIlea
'-uuttons.
The ration for a soldier In the Trnfta~g
States army eonsIf4 ABLY sxcaasfs vshst
g necessary for fht support 81 a man I,
consists FOR each dsy OF twelve n,1nres
OF PARK or bacon. or canned beef. and
Instead OF shs meat allowances mar
TONED, the soldier may have twenty
ounces 90 salt beef. In place OF the bread
or ieSr. he may have twenty ounces Of
corn meal or sixteen oanees OF nart
bread. Rat this is not all For every
yen men Uncle Sam allows daily aftAsr
pounds or beans or peas. eigh; pounds
az roasted coffee. fifteen pounds of sugar
Four quarts Of vinegar. four rounds OF
SOAP. four pounds Of salt four ounces ~
pepper and a pound and a half ~ candies
u preferred ten pounds Of green coffee
may 10 had instead % eight pounds OF
roasted coffee, or two pounds OF tea at
Herd another alternative The ration for
kFcossS II the field Is the same wsth the
ses4itton 81 fegr ounces Of yeast powder
10 each 10 Tattsnx OF four.
The best that can BE Enafe or this &c a
EsTy simple diet EGt I-nrie Sans sal
csers have n good many luxnvies for ,ne
table without expense - tferns.sxex