The Detroit times., 1914-05-06
An Army Travels On Its Stomach

GALVESTON. Tex. May An
army travels on its stomach. When
the troops modified at Galveston
move into Mexico either by land or
water, there 10 10 be no repetition OF
the scenes OF the Cuban campaign in
'ss, II the quartermaster corps is right
In its predictions.
Brig.Gen. Henry c. Sharp. chief OF
the supply department OF this corps,
pointed 70 the successful mobilization
OF the second division OF nearly 10000
men al Texas City I'm 1912 as an ex-
ample of the preparedness OF the sub
sistence departments 20 take care Of
any movement OF troops that may be
made.
THE experience OF '9S demonstrated
the necessity for working out In adj
vance plans for handling and subsist-
4ng bodies OF troops IN the field he
said The army is nothing but big
business-it is in the business OF max
ing war and preparing for war The
actual hghting is the smallest part or
army work Feeding the lighters is
The biggest part
when the order came TO mobilize
the second division OF the army IN
Texas in 1912 We we're ready The
order directing the movement, at the
same time assigned an officer OF the
Quartermaster corps 10 take charge
OF the depot at the point OF mobiliza.
ton. From the packing houses in
Chicago and elsewhere went out del
mite amount of canned meats. In adj
. vance OF the arrival OF the depot quar-
termaster at Galveston the local ON
GER at Fort Crockett was directed 70
purchase six days supply IN san
Antonio, Galveston or Houston. This
was done At the same time from
Fort Riley, Kansas. came the field bak
cry belonging 70 the second army dl-
yision-l2 ovens, sufficient 10 turn out
bread for an entire division OF about
20 600 men. This was installed and
working before the troops arrived.
eve have four field bakeries in CON
tinental United States one in each
military division. Each consists OF Il
units-feld oven with tentage. sponge
ans. dough troughs, proof racks
everything necessary for turning out
bread Three units constitute what Is
known as section. One unit can. be
backed into an escort wagon. Twelve
wagons uore in entire bakery These
gteds can p seq NJ -s..s,, sss|sT
within "a, very short- tiife After atriVdts
iu camp. We can mix the dough ana
set up a sponge TO rise in moving
wagon, so. that by the time the oven
is set up and heated the dough Is.
rsady.
mach company has two cooks
enlisted men-who also preparN every
hing else Each company has field
range TO cook for so men, weighing
80 pounds Each man carries in lis
haversack from two 10 three days
tations. He has his individual mess
kit TO cook the food in case OF emery
ency. The company wagons carry
two days rations in them. The prop
lem is simply TO see that the mum
Der of reserve rations are kept on the
men. When he uses them they must
he replenished The system consists
i'm sending forward each day from the
base TO the advance depot the neces'
sary quantity OF supplies, and these
are distributed from the advance de-
not TO the men at the front. fhe
means OF transport may be railroad
wagon train, pack train or automopiie
trucks. As the field force advances
further and further from the base.
the advance depot moves forward and ,
the line OF communications extends.
II then becomes a problem OF increas'
ing the transport train. or II by auto
taobile or train, OF making longer trips
each day