The sun., 1900-12-14
TROPICAL ARMY RATION.
rHs RspOHr ~ rHs B0ARD BgyoRg
fUr sFfRErARv ~ van.
o. oppose, IN. Seduction ~ the vresA Meat
Ration Ostmssi 10 substitstsd for
Dried pes. Amesnt ef sugar In.
creased Amount ~ trui Wedseed.

Dried Peas Amosnt d sasT In.
creased. Amount az Truit Reduced.
W,sutNutnS. pcc ~. Tho Secretary ~
Warwill shortly announce his dec sion regard.
ms proposed changes In tho tropical ration
fur the u-o N american troops Tho question
~ m emergency ration remains undetermined
bv tho board appointed for its CONSIDERATION
hut II ts an open secret that ~" board inVor-
theemcrgenc, ration pre- pared hy its direction
THIS ration differs very much from the com
fnercn tations of the War Department. II
IL much cheaper. hut lacks tho nutrition Of
tho commercial ration. The board expected
t. make up this deficiency by giving the soldier
, chocolate instead of tea 90 drink. The eN-
pcrimrnts with tho troops demonstrated
however that tea was better thnn chocolate.
and the boHri IN. now determine 10 sub
sttuto tea and improve upon IN" ration :" az
to Increase it, EutritNe value,
The question uf the regular tropical ration
has been considered hy the sam" board and
It's couCu. .on-. together with the recon-
nsndations of Commissary General weston.
are now before the Secretary of War Tor
| action. referring to recommendation
, made by IA board in the Philippines that the
| fresh-ineat ration be reduced In quantity.
the board says
The recon IN endation that tho fresh meat
| ration be reduced In quantity was so opposed
70 all the teachings OF experience. both In our
own country and in Cuba and Porto Rico.
that the board was unable to accept thus
recommendation as conclusive without fur-
ther investigation. Two members oi the
board have served In Cuba and the thlrd IN
Porto Rico. and their personal experience
has been that "a much fresh meat was de-
sired and eaten as in the United states ana
with no deleterious effect on the health OF the
a.. pf
also large neat eaters. when they are able TO
secure IT, AMI the meat q ,ter' IRE notice by
stronger and healthier looking than the
poorer classes who from necessity are mainly
vegeiarians. The board also interviewed
number of officers and other persons who had
been in the Philippines. and taking all sources
of information together. the board Is of The
onini"m that il would be a mistake to make
any fixed reduction in the meat ration.
ANY ration adopted must comprise meat
bread a vegetable a seasoning and coffee,
comparison is made between the articles now
composing these componentS ana al, tlose
suitable for ne pr pa6GIt war Snn san ba made s the
list and that in fact the articles comprising
the ration must be- about the same n nil en-.
ration as will by substitutions among its var-
ous ingredients be suitable for all climates.
Such a ration should po'sess the Following
III should be nutritious, sufficient in guam
MY asy Ssv e, nrtHs Gns as ssIS5s
II shouid be proof against climatic changes
and scept!ble Ht all times TO The q grc2'esT c1,ssT
the tropics or the polar circle, and capable
of afordilg such changes IN diet q. WI he
soldier under the conditions surrounding him.
In cold countries nitrogenons food and that
calculated to produce bodily neat are nee
c-sqry. but in warm climates such foods
may not be needed and the ration should
accommodate itself 10 the needs Of the soldier
everywhere In the North it. should supply
him with an abundance Of the reproducing
elements needed while In the tropics II should
supply him with diet suited TO ms 'envircn-
oxertion. II should readily adapt itself 10 the
Increased demands Of the system.
The bread ration has been simplifed by
eliminating corn meal and providing that II
shall consist Of one pound Of hard bread or
eighteen ounces of -four. with the necessary
The only change made in the vegetable
component is the striking ont OF dried peas
and the substitution therefor OF oatmeal. u
be issued At th" same rate as rice. Peas have
not proved a satisfactory component of the
ration Oatmeal is a favorite article OF food
with tho soldier. both IN temperate and trop-
ical climates. and large quantities are pur-
ch a.ed and naid for ont Of the company funds
the Philippines II has been made part OF the
regular ration. with very satisfactory re-
suits.
'Ground coffee has been added as an alter
native component The necessity, for such
have been ve-y useful This ground coffee
should always be packed IN hlr-llCht cans
In the proposed ration an increased amount
Of sugar i supplied, without in"rea>lnE
the total cost of N" ration, 10y reducing the
fruit ration from II pounds per 100 rations
TO 10 pounds. and increasing he sugar ration
from Is pounds per 100 rations 10 % pounds
, The 10 pounds % dried fruit and pounds
extra Of sugar taken together, constitute
more desirable Issue than l2'l pounds OF iruit'
alone
Gen Weston says Of the report.
q -cc no rea sor why tho amount Of canned
nsh is0lmoni should h" increased rom six
teen 'o eighteen ounces. and ther"' or" r"com-
/ mend tr.f II be s~lIat as Ut ir"StIt author
2ed hv the President that Is, ono pound
III i aiso my orinion that soft bread
should be prescribed as one of tho COM
t. is rosSihla for ~" Department TO CroNId"
sof broad under contract and as tho ad-
want age ~ h"in. Hhlc to Supply soft bread
T. r.rtiC,llarlv notice hlr with volunteer
troCns our regulations should hc framed
| SO that they will ar'lv to such, aS when tn"
Volunteers first GO into tho field. coming as
thcv do from all cl1s-c-. II irorNontl" hlIr ems
! that tho organizations hov" n" competent
baker,
a largo portion of the people coming from
/ the Southern States have been accustomed
! to the use of cornmoal, and when tho, ar"
enlisted either ms Regulars or oluntcrrs,
particuarl, as ountecrS. 'hcv desire 10 he
furnished with that Grtcrar articl" OF food
therefore. in my opinion, cornm"al should
bo continued IA one of the coinpon"nts OF
the ration
Il agree thoroughly with the hoard In
/ excluding peas as ono Of tho vegetable com
poneu,s Of the ration and substituting there-
for oatmeal ~ the same ratio. IN" cofl"c.
sugar and fruit comnnneut ot IN" ra'on