The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-02

Half n Million Dollars to Be spent
for DeIicacies for the Army.

Half n Million Dollars to BE spent
for DeIieacies for the Army.
CTrom the Washington PosO
Uncle Sam is called upon to assume a
new function. namely that Of a caterer
on a wholesale scale. He must make out
a bill of fare for the rank and file OF the
United States army, and upon his notions
of what constitutes reasonable luxury lii
the way of soldiers fare will depend the
factory grub" in future. "This is a new
departure that is likely to cost the gov
eminent at least half a million dollars a
year" said Connlissary- General Weston
last week. You see, the abolishment of
the 'canteens' has deprived the soldiers of
the luxuries which they were accustomed
to purchase out of the money profits Of
those establishments, and consequently
the war department Will be obliged 60
furnish them at its own expense. 1t is
not that the enlisted men would not get
enough to eat, because our regular army
ration is very liberal, but to take away
the table delieacies to which they have
been accustomed would cause much COM
plant, and 1t is good military policy to
make the lighting men contented with
his lot"
The profits OF the "canteen," officially
known as the post exchange, amounted
to about $250,0 a year, and were return
ed to the soldiers, who spent the money
on table dellcacies for their messes, after
deducting few thousand dollars for
gymnastic apparatus and books. There
were 81 of these establishments, which,
having no rent to pay, and being operated
on the cooperative principle, were run
at remarkably small cost: Light wines
and beer. but no spirits, were Sold and
the number of kinds of cigars kept in
stock was limited to 10 by statute. none
of them costing over six cents apiece by
the hundred. The money aocruing In pro-
fits from the canteens was distributed
pro rata among the enlisted men, and
most of IL was spent at the local grocery
stores kept by the war department, where
luxuries as well as necessaries could be
obtained at cost. Among the delicacies
thus purchased were strip, chocolate.
canned soups, canned oysters, canned
lobster. sardines, Jellies of all sorts, bak-
ed beans hominy, creamery butter.
cheese, sugar-cured hame, havoring ex-
tracts, olive oil, canned vega tables, evap-
GRATED cream. chow-chow. ginger. spices.
evaporated apples, lime juice and Worces-
hEisiiEt ildGH AltsS udu QQAlti a
little sum in cash to spend each month
on such things. and they contributed to
the content Of the soldiers in no small
degree.
OF late It has been the policy of the
war department to add to rather than
subtract from the luxuries OF our soldiers
1t has sent out to the Philippines large
quantities of dried eggs, prepared by a
process of evaporation, as well as much
canned stun, such as clam extract, crabs.
mushrooms and oysters. To these have
been added plentiful supplies OF canned
fruits and vegetables. current Jelly, devil
ed ham. homeless goldfish, olives, picked
whitefish, and shrimp. Even candy has
not been omitted, and hard gum drops,
lemon drops and other confectionery not
likely to get stale have been shipped to
Manila and to China. But IL Is obvious
that most of these articles are not pro-
vided for in the regular ration. and not
available for the messes Of our fighting
men anywhere unless as extras, to be
paid for by themselves.
Army officers say that soldiers are much
like children. They are singularly incapa-
BILE Of taking care OF themselves as a
rule, and whereas the money that came
from the profits Of the canteens seemed
to them TO represent no expenditure by
themselves, though 1t did actually come
out of their own pockets originally, Ii
would be quite a different matter for
them to draw directly from their small
pay for providing mess deicacies Hence
II is that the war department feels obliged
to make up for this loss, to some extent
at all events, by furnishing table luxuries
at its own expense. Incidentally, It Is
worth considering that the soldiers In
future will be obliged to pay more for
their drinkables and smokeables than
heretofore, owing to the adjustment OF
the friendly exchange. This means that
they will have less money for other
purposes.
The ration OF the enlisted man In the
United States army is. in truth, very
liberal No other country gives its fight
ing man 50 much meat, each Yankee
soldier drawing 20 ounces Of that kind Of
food daily, whereas the Russian gets only
IS ounces. the Englishman u ounces, the
Italian II ounces. the Frenehman and Ger
man nine ounces. or coffee the Ameri-
can receives 10 ounces a week. while four
ounces Is the limit In the armies OF En-
gland, France. Germany and Italy Spain
allows only three ounces OF coffee. but
scme wine goes with IT, Tea Is given TO
the Russian soldiers, who also get SO
ounces OF vegetables a week, and che
Spanish troops have three pounds OF fish
week for each man. When It comes 10
bread. Austria il most Liberal with q
ounceg per diem, whereas the United
States, France and Italy give only e
ounces. England IS ounces. ana Russia II
ounces. The German ration Of bread Is
next ~ tho Austrian, - ounces q day.