The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-06-03
FEEDING THE AMERICAN ARMY.

Unanswered a large lighting force
has discovered the truth of Napo-
Icons declaration that AN army
travels on its stomach; and to more
than one has come the bitter real
ization that the best army that
has the best stomach. There is
nothing which SO completely
withers patriotism and smothers
courage as the gnawing pain of In
digestion; therefore, the feeding
of an army has been given as much
study as its equipment as a des-
troying force"
The amount of food required
for ten days rations of the Ameri-
can army is graphically shown in
diagram presented by the publ
cation above quoted, in which are
enumerated the following amounts
of the staples of consumption, in
pounds: Corn meal, SIS, 1000; beef;
875, canned meat, 100000;
bacon, $4,000; picked fish, 49,
500; potatoes, 500, 900; sugar, 49,
900; coffee. 10000; dried fruit,
5000; beans, Io5 900, and onions,
10000. If this much food is re-
CURED to feed the army for ten
days, think Of the enormous guam
tity (more than thirty-six times as
much) consumed in a year.
The Scientific American, in its
article on this subject, gives the
following additional particulars;
"In the superiority of food, bas-
ed on the cost Of the ration, the
American army stands far ahead
of the other armies of the world;
in fact, there is no comparison
whatever between the American
rations and that of any other coun-
try on the globe. The cost of the
American rations is nearly one
hundred per cent greater than the
British army ration, and none of
the other countries with big mill
tary establishments feeds its SOL
diers anywhere nearly as expen-
sively as the English government
does.
THE American army ration is
divided into three kinds: Garrison
ration, field ration, and emergency
ration. The garrison ration is
given soldiers at regularly establish
ed military posts; field ration. that
issued to troops in the field in
active campaign. The emergency
ration, in which the best and most
valuable nutritive elements are
combined in the smallest bulk.
In composition the garrison and
field ration are almost identical.
Each ration, which is supposed
to keep the soldier for one day,
furnishing breakfast, dinner and
supper consists of 20 ounces of
fresh beef or mutton, II ounces of
bacon, I6- ounces of canned meat
"A ounces Of dried fish or IS
ounces of picked fish, IS ounces
of flour or 20 ounces of Cornmeal
either IS ounces OF beans or
peas, or 3-5 of rice or hominy
and either IS ounces of potatoes or
I24-5 ounces of either onions or
tomatoes, 3-5 ounces of dried
fruit, Is ounces of coffee, and
3 Is ounces of sugar. The ration
also includes very small quantities
of vinegar, salt, pepper, soap and
candles.
The army ration, it will be
seen, contains none of those
things which are ordinarily consid.
cred luxuries. For instance,
there is no milk included in the
ration, and the soldier must take
his coffee black unless he is able
to purchase a can of condensed
milk from the sale store with his
savings Congress has authoriz.
ed the commissary department tc
keep on hand other articles of food
that are not included in the regu.
lar ration. These are kept in
the sale stores, and are issued tc
the mess steward in return fol
saw ngs' from the regular rations
Out of a company of a hundred