The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-22
FEEDING THE SOLDIERS
annual Report of Acting Commits,
Sary General Weston.
IsaIfeu Military Attache Surprised
to See the Troops ON the Firing
Iine in the Philippines Supplied
With Hot Roast Beef-The Enlist
ment of Bakers Recommended.

Tie annual report OF Acting Commits
Iary General Weston was made public to-
lay by the War Department The total
expenditures of the subsistence depart
nent of the Army during the past fiscal
jear amounted to $50, ST., TOSS. The losses
II stores and subsistence property in
,eean transportation amounted n value
s1S4, 392.01. The report shows that the
'ork of the subsistence department was
OF confined 10 actual military distribu-
lon Twenty thousand rations were dis
fibuted to the food sufferers on the lower
Tazoo of Texas; subsistence to the value
: 1891. 4S016 was issued to the storm suf-
irers in Porto Rico; rations to the value
$4,000 were issued TO Indians in the
Lates and Alaska. The Cuban teachers
listing the United States we're subsisted
q the voyage from Cuba to Boston and
Eturn at cost of over $12,0 900. Gratui-
pus Issues, amounting in all to STA, 163. p
ere made to different persons, including
estitute Cubans destitute Filipincs.
Panish refugees in the Philippines, in
urgent prisoners in the Philippines and
sstitute miners in Alaska.
The report devotes considerable atten-
ION TO the work of supplying frozen fresh
ref 10 the troops in the Philippines This
eef is secured il Australia and the Of
GERS report that 1t was issued with great
uccess. The frozen beef is far different
rom The plain refrigerated beef as IS
hown by the following statement of its
lethod Of preparation:
Preparation for Export-After separ-
ting The heart. kidneys, tongue etc.
paving only the bare carcass. the meat
3 subjected to the freezing process. Is
egrees TO 20 degrees Fahrenheit, below
FRO, about so degrees of freezinz being
pplied- When thoroughly hard. the car
ass is sewn I'D in thin cotton cloth and
Transferred to the refrigerating chambers
= steam ship"
General Weston says: The following
supplementary alIusion 10 the Subsistence
department. was made by Lieut. Terruc-
DO Vitale, of the Italian army, military
ttache to The Embassy at Washington
airing the Spanish war. and who went 10
sanila with the United States troops:
What pleased me probably more than
uything else was the sight of serving hot
cast beef to the soldiers on the firing
Inc out in the Philippine Islands. miles
nd miles away from the military depots
The Commissary Department of your war
flee has been criticised very harshly.
at when you consider what it means to
eed soldiers on the firing line with hot
past beef you viii agree with me that
! is a feat which few armies can boast
4. All the time I have spent in the Phil
ppine Islands I have lived and messed
nth the officers, have watched closely
low the troops Jared and I must say that
he Commissary Department did splendid
york
General Weston details the efforts Ct
)he department to secure an emergency
1ation fer use in the field. and reviews
Jhe work Of the different boards on this
lnbject concluding with the remark that
Jhe report of the board last appointed has
bot yet been completed He makes the
lpecifc recommendation that bakers be
Enlisted in the military service. He says:
The first step taken by my predeces-
SOrs in recommending legislation for the
enlistment OF bakers for the military
service was in tbs year 1877, when the
Eommissary General recommended that
bakers should be specially enlisted. paid
Extra pay-say. 81 per mOnth-and as
Slgned to posts as are commissary ser
teants. In 1895 the CommisSary General
again brought the matter to the atten-
tiou OF the Secretary of War, for the
purpose of having him urge upon Con-
press the desirability Of passing the nee
sssary laws for the enlistment and pay
ment OF bakers needed for the service.
messes are to be established or main
tanned there should be one baker at $50
per month and assistant baker at SIS per
montA, with additional assistant bakers
At SIS per month, not exceeding one for
every 200 rations OF bread baked per day
IN excess Of 300 He also recommended
that a special allowance to the bakery
for the necessary fuel and lights be es-
tablished by regulations, and stated that
dad
the best results from the ration: nc part
of the flour issued to the soldier would
be taken from him, and the detail Of SOL
dieTs away from their legitimate duties
would be TO this extent prevented
The above recommendation was renewed
In the annual report to the Commissary
General OF Subsistence for 1895. It is again
urgently recommended that legislation be
had upon this subject To properly subsist
The troops when in the field means OF fur
nishing them fresh bread should be pro-
Fided- In order to do this, a field bakery
column modelled upon those now autho-iz-
I'd in all foreign armies, should be organiz-
ed. and trained bakers should be provided.
As Army cooks were authorized by act of
Congress for the regular and volunteer
armies OF the United States particularly
Tor managing, cooking, and serving the "a
ten in the field II is now urgently recon-
meRded that a training school for cooks be
established at one Of the large military
posts in this country. Such school could
supply the cooks and bakers required in
The various organizations and for the pro
posed field bakery column
In concluding the report the Acting Com
nissary General recommends an increase
1f twenty-five officers in the Subsistence
Department which he declares is necessary
% give the department proper efficiency