River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-11-10
JAP SOLDIERS WELL FED.
Stories of Their Abstemiousness Are
Legendary, Says This
Authority.

The Japanese soldier eats three meals
day, and his Wanted abstemiousness
is legend. In former times he was sat
lshed with little rice, but now his APP
petite has increased enormously, says
Toxic letter to the Cologne Gazette.
lie rarely gets prepared rice; the custom
is TO give him cooked rice with decor
tlcated grain, which, by the way, he likes
less than pure rice. This diet is pre-
scrlDed to increase his physical strength,
and to guard him against beriberi At
present the Jap soldier is served with
hsh and meat. For breakfast he has
boiled corn and rice, bean soup and
preserved vegetables. For dinner he has
fish, meat, boiled rice and corn. and
cooked vegetables. For supper the menu
OF the dinner is repeated. Consequently
the Jap soldier sleeps comfortably.
I In addition to this, he has the privi-
lege of buying bread at the canteen.
1t is generally white bread, which he
calls pan. He hates black bread. or
kurapan, as he calls it. He can also
procure at the canteen a sort of sweet
biscuit Katapan, about as large as the
palm of the hand and as thick as tho
little finger. The canteen is run by the
corporals and under officers, who have
the same fare as the soldiers. Rice.
wine and beer can be also had at the
canteen. On New Years day, the ami
versary of the foundation of the empire,
and on the birthday Of the Mikado. the
troops get carefully prepared rations,
including cake of soft rice, a white cake
and a red cake and katapans in addi-
ton, Of course. to the usual fare So
It appears that fish, meat, rice and corn
form the nourishment of the Japanese
soldiers, a nourishment far superior to
that OF the ordinary Jap. In the bar
racks the soldier sleeps in a wooden
bed with wooden covering.
In time of war. on the day of mob
ll1zat1on, the Jap trooper receives red
bed covering. IN his sack, which has
many little pockets, he carries dry
crushed rice and sailed prunes. He has
bamboo tube filled with water. The
company wagon carries, in addition to
dried vegetables, dried fish, preserved
| ~NN' OA'JOu NSA{ AcbCC VI DSduSJ y, WluO
and cigarettes. The troop has cooking
stove, said to be made of pressed paper,
rendered incombustible through some
chemical process. 1t is carried in the
haversack. They use a great deal of
paper in the Japanese army. The winter
underclothing of the troops is made of
waterproof paper.
On the march the man carries only
his rifle, his cartridges, his crushed rice.
The coolies, Chinese and Corean, carry
the rest far in the rear.
The b1vouacs are arranged in a man.
ner to procure the greatest possible COM
fort. The officers and men are supplied
with furniture made of braided straw
camp beds and carpets. For the generals
regular little houses are set up in short
order. A great number Of women fol-
low the army. They cook the meals for
the soldiers, and care for the wounded.
Among them are many Chinese
The war mail now organized for the
first time, renders excellent service. The
soldier is forbidden to mention the reg
| iment to which he belongs or the place
from which he starts He can write
from the field of battle, but without in
dicating the locality or giving the date.
The military administration attends to
the work of transmitting the replies.