The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-01
SUBSISTENCE.
Cost Of Food Tor Soldiers Last
Year Was Over Sl5,OOO,OOO.

Washington, Nov. 1.-The report OF
General John +. Weston, commissary
general OF subsistence, shows that the
total expenditures for the subsistence OF
the army during the fiscal year were
SIS. 81, DDS.
The receipts from the sales OF subsis-
tence stores during the same period were
81, ,2sO, 234. An interesting feature OF the
report is a statement from Colonel Wood
rum, chief commissary OF the army In
the Philippines i'm which he says:
During the first three months of the
period covered by this report, stores here
had, for various causes, become greatly
reduced. but owing to the grand response
made by the commissary general to every
call from this office and the energetic
action of the purchasing commisssries i'm
San Francisco and New York this
speedily corrected, and this division was
soon supplied as no other army OF its
size has ever been supplied in the worlds
history.
During the period covered by this re-
port the command TO be supplied extended
from the great wall OF China, on the
north, TO the Island OF Borneo. on the
south, and the Island of Guam on the
east There were 4S0 stations In this
dTCDlDtidEO, besides the troops IN emma
and the prisoners I'm Guam.
In addition TO the 5000 troops and 5000
officers i'm this division the subsistence
department supplied the delicacies for
the sick, rations for 40. 600 prisoners OF
war, $500 marines. many of the stores for
the navy, rations for 1000 civilian en-
ployes and sales stores for the army
navy and marine officers. Philippine com
mission and attaches, and Americans en-
ployed by the army and by the govern
ment in it's treasury. postoffice, interior
and educational departments, metropoli-
tan police native police and scouts.
transports. etc In other words, nearly
100000 persons occupying a country al
most destitute of meat and vegetables
and other food supplies suitable for
Americans were supplied largely from a
single base. 700 miles distant.
After the stores reached Manila they
had TO be landed i'm Csscos and then dis
tributed by steam vessels one short rail-
road. by cascos and bancos. poled up
narrow rivers. by wagon and carabao
carts along almost bottomless roads. by
pack mules and coolies over mountain
trails. often through a hostile country.
and some Of the posts supplied were more
distant, I'm point OF time, from Manila
than is the capital OF our country
Colonel Woodruff says that during the
naried- -eaNarad-hI-tla -tlaa-Fepert - -aoo-t44e.t-
have been returned To the United States
and about 1900 have arrived in the Phil
ippines, and that not n single serious
complaint has been received concerning
the food supply. There has been some
deterioration OF stores due TO poor storage
and climatic conditions.
Colonel Woodruff refers 10 the charges
against the subsistence department and
takes occasion TO say that such charges
were greatly exaggerated, and he reviews
what has already been published concern
i'm the losses by dishonest officers AMI
commissary sergeants. together with the
trials and conviction OF those convicted
lIo denies any Illegal purchases of
champagne and says the purchases that
were made were necessary for sick and
debiliated troops, 50 cents a pint being
paid for IL.
General Weston's report deals 1uite
extensively with the Chinese campaign
and quotes from officers who were i'm
that expedition 10 show that the trooos
were we'll supplied