Evening star., 1901-06-07
FOOD FOR AN ARMY
Report Of Chief Commissary for
Northern Luz0n.
MEAT SUPPLIED SCATTERED STATIONS
Major Ruthers Praises Beef Stew
With Vegetables.
NEED FOR FULL RATION

Major G. w. Ruthers, chief commissary
Of the Department of Northern LuZon, In
a letter to Commissary General Weston,
dated April Is. gives some interesting In
formation concerning the food supplies OF
the army in that region He says that
there are 33S stations in that department,
with about 25,000 troops, and that supply
ing an army of that size divided into so
many stations is much more difficult than
if it was an undivided army. In addition
to the troops there were several thousand
prisoners being fed by the government.
Major Ruthers says the subsistence depart
ment is in superb condition, and that many
gratifying statements and reports are re-
ceived from all the officers. General
Wheaton, in command of the department,
has taken occasion several times to speak
in the highest terms of the commissary de-
partment.
Supplying Fresh Beef.
Major Ruthers deVoteS considerable space
in his letter to the subject of beef supply.
For the most part the meat ration served
the troops is the refrigerated or frozen
beef, although at some of the interior
points, where there is neither rail nor water
transportation, this supply is necessarily
curtailed The consumption of beef by the
troops and the rinderpest have almost
stripped Luzon of cattle, but on some OF
the smaller islands north of Luzon cattle
are still maintained and 200 had just been
purchased. Major Ruthers says he has
sent beef sixty miles into the interior with
bull carts. He notes as remarkable fact
that this beef was transported through
country infested with ladrones and small
bands of insurgents, yet the cart drivers
and supplies were not molested He says
they must have paid toll to the tribal
chiefs, for had the supplies been accom-
panied by escorts there would have been
daily ambush. These drivers used trotting
bulls, and they get over the ground very
fast.
He says there is need of more water
transportation, and If he had it he would
use more frozen beef, as the influence on the
sick report is quite marked, the more fresh
beef used the better being the health OF the
troops. Native beef from which the animal
heat has not entirely departed is not
healthful.
Beef Stew With Vegetables.
Speaking of particular feature of the
army ration, Major Ruthers says:
The beef stew, with vegetables is the
finest component of the ration ever put
| into the hands of troops. 1t will take the
place of fresh beef when the latter cam
| not be supplied for some time, and with the
| addition of some hard tack, coffee, sugar,
| salt and. baked beans you could cut an
| army loose from it's transportation for
| some time 1t is the finest ration for
hikes ever put into the hands of soldiers,
| and is highly praised by them.
Major Ruthers says for some time he
| used the English army rations (beef stew
and potatoes) in two-pound cans, which
| gave satisfaction, but did not compare
| with the beef stew issue of the United
| States army rations.
The Best Army Ration.
| He says that the standard emergency ra-
| ton has given general satisfaction. The
| use of it alone has enabled commands to
| operate In constant rain and to go through
| water up to their necks. At the same time
he adds: "a ration of beef stew and vege-
| tables, one pound of hard bread in tin and
| a tablet of chocolate l would put against
any so-called emergency ration ever manu-
| factured, and it would not cause intestinal
irritation of which some complaint is
made"
another fact he states: Experience shows
that the American soldier serving in these
| islands needs the full army ration, includ-
ing the full allowance Of fresh beef; his
health cannot be maintained without it.
sweets and acids.'' In this connection
Major Ruthers mentions the demand for
sauerkraut. Without abundance Of nutri-
tious food, he says, the health of Ameri-
cans cannot be maintained in the Luzon
climate. Foreigners and rich Filipinos are
heavy eaters and drink abundance of
red wine. The poorer classes would be
heavy eaters If they could. The health of
Filipinos living on American foods is much
better than that Of those living on native
foods.
Difficulties of the Service.
Major Ruthers calls attention to the
many difficulties which the commissary
department undergoes in supplying the food,
and speaks particularly Of bacon, which it
Is sometimes necessary to resalt and
smoke, and says that in carrying out these
operations a number of the commissaries
are becoming good farmers. He recon-
mends that bacon be sent in tins, as it Is
much better and is sure to be kept safely.
Major Ruthers says that the white ant
goes through tomato cans by first covering
the tins with an acid, corroding the con-
tents. These same ants play havoc with
ginger ale corks.
Speaking of the subsistence stores, which
are not a part Of the regular rations he
says they give satisfaction. Canned vege-
| tables are especially satisfying to the
troops,