Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09
COOKS IN THE ARMY.
There Should BE Trained Men to Do
This Work.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

FROM the brooklyn Eagle.
Now that the soldiers IN the big camps
are getting their supplies, it becomes q
matter of necessity that the rations should
be cooked in a manner that, if not appe-
tizing, shall make them at least digestible
In respect of this matter of cooking there
is wide difference in the companies, and
much cause for complaint. Men who few
weeks ago were bricklayers or carpenters
vendors of irewood have suddenly
found themselves installed as chefs, and
are confronted with problems that never
entered their lives before. To some this
new situation has proved cause for wide
rejoicing, for they have developed nge-
nuity and skill, while others cannot even
fry pan of bacon without ne ting and
burning it into dry and undergraduate
fragments. 1t is Old and true saying
that an army travels on it's stomach. There
are possibilities of courage among men
who are half-clothed, half-armed and i'll
otficered, but there is little chance for con-
certed or effective action among men who
are weak with iIl-feeding or who kaNe a
mstrust that some unDatriotic pers III is
profting by their hunger. The confusion
and DELAY that led to complaint in the
camps have nearly passed The store
houses are fun, and there is abundance of
food on hand for month. fefore it is
eaten it has to pass through the hands of
company cooks, and on what they make
of it depends il large insasIr the health
ana satisfaction of the troops. Among the
many Industries of the United States gov
eminent is that of publisher but, while the
patent office reports and the Congressional
Record find few readers, there is one book
which is just row studied with diligence.
1t is . cook book, and is issued to the
army. III it described the various ways
in which cheap and wholesome dishes may
be compounded of such material the
army ration. and there is no reason why
lyl1f he nj s.nn h.. TO
sUbSiSt bareback and bacon for week
after week. Many things can be done with
bareback, and u potato can be offered in Il
hundred different guises.
1t is proposed to enlist cooks as such,
rather than to have LnsIn detailed from
the ranks, and to give them the gLa de and
pay of coruorals This you'd be an s.d-
vantage, since 1t would induce the enlist
ment of men who have served as cooks in
small restaurants and hotels, and, by Civ
ing to them the authority of non commits
stoned officers. some of the work of the
kitchens would be facilitated. At present
if pail of water is required in the kitch-
en-supposing the springs or wells to be at
"a distance, as they commonly are-the cook
must ask commissioned officer to order
corporal to pass man through the lines
with orders to get the water. If q regi-
rnent is on drill the cook may have to wait
for three hours before he can get the al
thority to do this, though a dozen men may
be lying about their tents or doing police
work about the streets. Had he the COR
porais chevrons he could give this order
himself, and the water would be tCrth-
coming in a few minutes. He would also
be saved from the annoyance of the Htn
cIowding about him when he was at work,
and pilfering raw material from his boxes.
Chiefly, he would devote himself to the
cooking, and would, if he We're a man of
ordinary intelligence and aDtness, be able
in little time to serve paiataDie dishes to
his company. AT present cook may be
taken from his fire and put on guard. or
gent away on police 'iuty, made u serve
as orderly, or kept III the field ut drill or
rifle practice, until he is too tired to do his
Kitchen work properly, or his place is taken
by some raw hand vino never so much as
boiled egg in his life. The specializing
tendency in the army and navy is a good
ore. Men are not detailed from the tanks
to serve as physicians aids, hospital stew
ards, quartcrmaSters, paymasters, ord
nance officers, tedmsters, postInaSt2rs, en-
gineers. transportation agents. musicians
and so on, without reference TO experience
or fitness, nor should they be assigned TO
duty at the kitchens unless they show an
equal fitness. On it's feeding depends the
strength Of an army.