The times., 1901-06-07
FEEDING SOLDIERS IN LUzoN.
hnjor Rutbiers Tells How Good Ra-
tions Have Been Provided.

| beeu PROVIDED.
Cammissary General Weston has just
received from Major C. w. Ruthiers an
| interesting report Of the conditions gov
erning the subsistence of troops in north
I ern Luzon and the best foods adapted
7 for the soldiers. He says there are in
that department 23S stations, occupied by
/ 250@ troops and several thousand prison.
ers and employees. He adds:
The subsistence department has been
Tor many months past in superb condi-
ton. 1t has received the praise of Gen
erai heaton on more than one occasion
There are no complaints or even sug-
gestions. It may be understood that the
! supply of some q, 900 men in one body or
in five or six field commands is a simple
proposition compared with the supply Of
the same number scattered in 23S field
stations We have today in this depart
ment more generous variety of sales
stores than ! ever saw in any eommissary
in the United States in time of peace
/ This office is made to feel a longing for
acids. such as pickles and sauerkraut,
and then again comes an immense demand
for sugar"
Major Ruthiers explains that a certain
percentage of the troops get frozen beef.
while others receive at present a little
native beef He continues: "Cousump-
tiOn OF beef by troops and death of cattle
from rinderpest have almost stripped this
island of cattle. Recently / ordered pur-
chased 200 head of steers from some little
island north Of this one. 1 have extended
the supply of frozen beef to every point
where I could get transportation for it.
'On one line it leaves the railroad and
goes by bull carts sixty miles into the
interior, arriving in first-class condition.
And the remarkable thing is that for
some time this section was infested with
ladrones and small bands of insurgents,
who in no instance molested the bull cart
drivers having charge of the meat. They
must have paid toll from their earnings.
Had escorts beenF sent there would have
been a daily ambush.
''On another line this beef is carried by
bull carts, and for a distance of twenty
miles over mountains by pack mules.
Wherever beef goes 100 pounds of ice for
each company is supplied. The troops
endorse this frozen beef as the finest beef
in the world. The beef stew, with veget-
ables, is the finest component of the
ration ever put in the hands of troops
1t will take the place Of fresh beef when
that cannot be supplied for some time;
with the addition of some hardtack, cOf-
fee, sugar, salt, and baked beans, you
could cut an army loose from its trans
portation for some time
The standard emergency ration has
given very good satisfaction. The use OF
il alone has enabled commands to operate
during the constant rains and to go
through water and mud up to their necks.
Experience shows that the American sol
dier serving in these islands needs the
full army ration including the full allow
ance Of fresh beef; his health cannot
be maintained without IT,.
You may have observed that the calls
for sauerkraut have been very heavy. /
have called for several hundred thousand
pounds each quarter. 1 have not been
able to meet the demand. II is an article
that is craved and goes quickly. Without
abundance of nutritious food the health
of the Americans cannot De maintained
in this climate The foreign population
and rich Filipinos are heavy eaters and
use a good deal of red wine. The poor
masses live on fish and rice. The result
is they are anaemic-"
Major RuthierS recommends the packing
of food in we'll sOldered tins of good
weight. He says the white ant has been
known to go through tomato cans by
covering the tins with an acid cOrrOding
deposit The little animal plays havoc
with the corks Of bottles containing gin
ger ale.