The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-18
TOMMY ATKINS
 KEPT WELL FED. Sample of Days Rations of
 British Soldier INDIAN WOMEN AID Surprise at Loyalty of Women of India--Begum of Bhopal Inspires Sisters by Heavy Contribu-
 tions to Hospital Ship
INDIAN WOMEN AID

London. October 17-( Specially } Probably no modern army commander makes the mistake of underfeeding his men The importance of food is fully realized. In Lord wolseleys pocket book" for the British army it is laid down:
 Ut may be taken IS an accepted fact that the better the men are fed the more you will get out of them. the better will be their health and strength, the more contented they will be aud the better will be their discipline"
 We learn some German prisoners had nothing but roots and grass in their stomachs. It is not surprising that this should occur at some points of the long battle lines for the kaiser's army con sume in a week 27.000 tons of bread, 72S0 tons of mot 54600 tons of pota- toes, 912 tons of coffee and 520 tons of sugar. The cost of these is about $3o.0o0,0oo and the cost of the trans port about s5,00o. 00o
 It nas been given out that British soldiers receive rum as part of their rations. This is an error. Tea has re- placed rum. It is recognized as q much better fighting drink than beer or spirits. Here is a sample days ra- ton of Tommy Atkins on active cam paign duty:
 1 pound of fresh, salt or preserved meat.
 1K pound of bread or 1 pound of biscuit or 1 pound of flour.
 1-6 ounce tea
 Ia ounce coffee.
 ounces sugar.
 ounces jam or marmalade.
 3a ounce salt
 1-S6 ounce pepper
 E pound of fresh vegetables when procurable, or l pound of compressed vegetables.
 1-32 gallon of lime juice with + ounce of sugar on days when fresh vegetables are not issued.
 Until the present campaign the men had to buy their own tobacco. Now they are allowed two ounces a week.
 Indian Women Helping
 Yet another of the amazing results of the war is the manner in which it is calling forth the enthusiastic support of Indian women. The desire to help has gone far behind the purdah, and new interests and a wider outlook than the average Indian woman has ever manifested before are being awakened
 There is, of course. no living Indian ruler whose example carries moro weight with Indian women than the Begun of Bhopal. Her example in bear ing so large share in the cost of the equipment of the hospital ship Loy- atty was an incentive to others of her sex to take their part also in som, fern of useful work. but those who knew something of the newer spirit that begins to animate the sisters and brides-to-be of the men now hastening to the empires call admit themselves surprised at some of the facts they are now learning.
 The last mails brings accounts If some of the demonstrations of feminine support At Bombay Lady Wilmington Is president of the women's branch of the war relief fund and In that ca- pao;ty invited the help of English and Indian ladies to make extra garments and comforts for the troops proceeding on active service and for hospital TO- quirements.
 Some of the tailoring establishments of tho Queen City offered the assist ance of their cutters in order that the garments maSA' up should be of proper shapes and proportions. Even with their expert and rapid help it has not been possible to comply with all the requests for the work, as may be judged from the fact that one native lady alone has offered. with the assistance of her friends, to make up 2000 pajama suits.
 Give Up New Dresses
 The younger women are foregoing the purchase of their new saris ard shawls to give the money for the pur chase of materials for something use full for the troops
 In Calcutta the scheme favored is that women should provide the extra comforts and requirements for a unit of 10 beds in a military hospital. The cost of this is about 250 rupees and among the great ladies who have un- dertaken to bear the cost of one arc the Maharani of Cooch Behar. the Ma : harani Adhirani. and the Maharaj Ku- mani of Burdwan. Lady Mookeri and Mrs. Ezra. this latter lady supply ing two complete units.
 The Maharani of Bharatpur asso- ciates herself with the Maharaja in the splendid offer for imperial service of the whole resources of the state and their private motor cars Tn Gwalior the Dowager Maharani has herself de- livered a stirring speech on behalf of the soldiers who may be sick or wound : ed and with the other ladies of the family has given 50n0 rupees for Red Cross work. The Begun of Rampur and the Maharani of Renares are vice presidents of the effort that Is being made under Ladv Meston to raise money for Red Cross purposes in the united provinces. The list might in- deed be greatly extended and would show how the women of the rrindn Moslem and Parsee races of India are united as much as are thcsa Of C.~ea [ Britain In their desire to do all in their power to mitigate the inevitable suf- fering when a great army goes into the field.