New-York tribune., 1900-01-07
FEEDING A BIG ARMY.
/, COMPLICATED AND vITALLT IMPoR-
TANT TASK.


,ransvaal have not exempt is that OF the sub
isence or provisioning OF troops. In fact the dis
matches from the Transvaal have frequently men |
toned the suffering OF the troops through the delay
in the transportation of supplies
The word subsistence may be divided into Two |
SORTS namely that species OF provision which is |
"a be found in an adjacent country, such as forage
etc and that which is provided at distance and
regularly supplied by means of well conducted |
commissary. consisting chiefly of meat bread, etc
Foragfng or acquisitions" which first en- |
fIoyed by General washington, and so named by |
him during the Revolutionary War, is demand
for food. etc. made the inhabitants of certain |
districts satisfy the requirements OF army
and. If necessary. is accompanied by force. In |
order provide for the wants Of the Continental
troops who in need Of food AMI clothing and
,1ea shoes, Washington frequently resorted TO
-eqrisitions: always exercised great modera-
ZION and endeavOred TO protect private property.
He always asked in detailed manner for such ar
ticles were indispensable for his army employing
the form OF request. reserying rigorous methods
fcr the recaieitrant In former times the invader
possessed the right of booty and pillage and such
rractices were most unfortunate for army as
they cnbiiterd the population and compromised the
safety Of the troops in an enemys country.
AN EARLY PRINCIPLE.
On April :. 1877. the Secretary of War addressed
General Scott in this manner the subject of
fcrsging:
The enemy should be made to realize that
there are Other Judgements 70 make them de-
N,Tse9 Of her own mil.tarv esteblisbment e1G 1fe
The right Of an army in an enemys country
5ired for quarters bosnita1k e1orebsnS S may Os
afSer military purposes without comnensatie5 can anu
not be questioned and it is expected that you viii
compatible with the interest of the service upon
which you are engaged.
On May 20 following General Scott replied:
Hhis expected at Washington. as is now appre-
hended that this army is support itself by forced
contributions levied upon the country we may ruin
selves for it is certain they would sooner remove
or destroy the products Of their farms than allow
Not ration for man horse would be brought in
troops to spread themselves out msnv eae Tgge tno ne
stop all military operations.
In General Sherman's famous march from, A.
lanta to the his army cut a swath from hftv
10 sixty miles broad through the unconquered sec
ton OF the South, subsistng his army of sixtv-Ave
thousand men off the country. He started from
Atlanta with about twenty days supplies in his
wagons. which were reflled fast as their con-
tents were Issued. He utterly destroyed over two
hundred miles of rails and consumed stores and
provisions that were needed by the Confederate
armies besides appropriating thousands of mules
ana horses In his report upon the campaign
General Sherman made this reference:
I estimate the damage done to the State of
georgia at S0OoOeOoo. at least s2oOOOOOO of which
simply waste and destruction.
Article a Of General Orders No 100 of the War
Department Of 1868 provided thus
An wenton violence committed against persons in
NOT commanded by the authorize officers ali rob-
neIy. az piliage or saeking even after taking a
ing or killing such inhabitants are prohibited under
IS ay 81 Geas9 or 5ach @ Other severe
fence A soldier, officer or private in the act of
e0 ordering him to abstain S from it, ay be laW S
fully killed On the spot by such superior.
Paragraph of Article a Of the Brussels Confer
Cf IL sfr---
sn indemnity shall be granted a receipt given
therefor. Reouisitions are however, an uncertain
and unequal means of supply, and only enable an
enemy 10 live from hand to mouth. Although prac-
ucable IN offensive wars. they only justiiabIe
II rapid movements, where time does not admit of
more certain means OF supply. The system is less
odious than pillage. and It is to the interest of an
invading army not 70 interfere in the ordinary
vocations Of citizens. especially those engaged in
producing. Armies have increased enormously
in numbers within the last three generations that
# has become difficult to subsist them from the
resources of even the most productive country;
hence in recruiting II is wisdom not to take too
large percentage of producers, especially from
the agricultural class. Even water often becomes
a scarcity. and during the Franco-Gerrnan war Of
1s7o-'n the scarcity Of water which prevailed at
Metz was constantly felt BY regular issue from
the ample stores Of wine found on the spot and
later by increasing the coffee ration and by send
Ing brandy and ulled wine TO the outposts all dis
advantageous consequences were avoided.
COMPLICATED PROBLEM
In preparing supplies for campaign there must
be considered their composition the probable daily
umption and the number Of days reserve to
be accounted. where and by what date they must
be ready. whence are the supplies to be obtained
and how they to be transported and how the
expended supplies TO be replenished Provisions
obtained either by consignments or purchase should
be collected in large amount in the rear of the
army. from which they could be drawn at times
when needed. If preference should be given to the
requisition system. preparations must be made to
live otherwise If necessary. The conditions daily
supply lie between two extremes-that where the
country is sufficient TO all requisitions and
that where il is completely exhausted
Napoleon, in April, 1Sc9 in letter to his chief of
staff, pointed out the folly of transporting supplies
from the base when they could be purchased in the
invaded territory.
Transport is that branch Of military organiza-
ton which provides for the mobility Of an army
and enables il to move at any moment in any re-
quired direction. complete in ali that it needs both
for its subsistence and its efficiency In these days
OF war efficiency army. according to the opin-
ions Of military experts, have any hope of sue
cess in the held against another provided with an
organized transport unless itself possesses such
an important equipment. 1t is looked upon
important part of a modern army much so as
its infantry, cavalry artillery And ii should
ply with three essential conditions; it be
sufficient for the wants Of the force employed, at
all times in the best possible condition. and always
ready for movement. Regimental transport is that
which is permanently attached in such proportion
as 10 carry the equipment, tools. baggage and
other necessaries, and -ations for two days. De
partmental transport is that specially assigned to
the staff and divisions constituting army corps
10 convey the baggage Of the organizations, the
serve ammunition, subsistence for four days-in
fact everything needed to make the army corps
complete for certain number of days. The general