Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-31
WHAT HE EATS.
The Japanese Soldier by No Means
Abstemious.

The japanese soldier eats three
meals d day and his yaunted abstem-
iousness is legend. In forme: times
lie WAS satisfied with q little rice, but
now his appetite has increased enOr-
mously. He rarely gets prepared rice:
the custom is to give him cooked rice
with decorticated grain. which. by the
way, ne likes less than pure rice. This
diet is prescribed to increase his phys
ical strength, and to guard him
against beriberi. At present the Jap
soldier is served with fish and meat.
For breakfast he has boiled corn and
rice. bean soup and preserved vegeta-
bles. For dinner he has fish. meat
boiled rice and corn. and cooked vege-
tables For supper the menu of the
dinner is repeated. Consequently the
Jap soldier sleeps comfortably
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
kuropan. as he calls it, He can also
procure at the canteen a sort of swee,
biscuit. katapan. about as large as the
palm of the hand and as thick as the
Ililit uliSel ne CdItlceU is run Dy
the co'porals ard under officers. who
bave the same fare as the soldiers
Rice wine and beer can be also had at
the cantnen. On New Years day. the
anniversary of the foundation of the
empire. and ON the birthday of the
mikado. the troops get carefully pre-
Pared rations, including cake of soft
rice. Il white cake and red cake and
katapans in addition. of course to the
usual fare. 50 ii appears that fish.
meat, rice and corn form the nourish-
ment of the japanese soldiers. a nOur-
ishment far superior to that of the or
binary Jap In the barracks the soldier
sleeps in 4 wooden bed with wooer,
covering.
In time of war, or the day of mobii-
zation. the Jap trooper receives a red
bed covering. III his sack. which has
many little pockets, he carries dry
crushed rice and sailed prunes. He
has a bamboo tube filed with water.
The company wagon carries in addition
to dried vegetables, dried fish. pre-
served meat. cnoiou (extract Of beans),
wine and cigarettes. The troop has a
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. Tho winter underclothing of the I,
troops is made Of waterproof paper.
On the march the man carries. only |
his rife, his cartridges. his crushed !
rice. The coolies, Chinese and Korean,
carry the rest far in the rear.
The bvOuacS are arranged in a man.
ner to procure the greatest possible
comfort The officers and men are
supplied with furniture made of braid
ed straw. camp beds ard carpets. For
the generals, regular little houses are
sci up in short order. A great rumber
Of women follow 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
regiment to which he belongs or the
place from which he starts. He can
write from the field of battle, but with
'ut indicating the locality or giving the
late. The military administration at
ends to the work of transmitting the
'eplies.-Cologne Gazette.