The Washington times., 1914-09-11
ARMIES EAT 1880
TONS OF FOOD DAILY
Problem of Feeding Fighting
Men Grows Harder All the
Time During War.


E iCod each Cal rh !-,"r"S ire
ased on the allowances made by cL'h
ountr,. for each man in war timS AMI
,vcraged by an authority or comm g
ariat.
II 10 figured that the average for each
ruan is two and a quarter pounds "t
food p day 1t has 3een stated 1hHt
there are from 500 900 to l6.OOO,O0o men
now On the latte INES. Just what the
raj figures arr il is Impossible I" de-
.arrcine. but 10000, 390 is probably nearlE
nrrect.
The war has lasted a few days more
than q month and it is assumed that
n thirty days the -l0.0O0.O0o men have
-aten $500 tons Cf food. The 'Atert
II this can be better realized when I
Considered that the population Of Now
York. Chicago. Philadelphia. St. Louis
and Boston. according to the last Gov
ornment census. was 1O264.0oo
A box car on an American railroad
VII; carry about twenty tons. This
means that to transport the food of one
day for 10000 900 men so of these cars
would be needed. l. these SO cars were
divided into trains of forty cars each IT
woulu mcan fourteen trains drawn by
the largest engines in the country.
Has Its Own System.
Each nation hHs its own system of
'oeding its men. and now it is realized
-lsrS where that to enable the men t.
Eht al their best they must be fed
-roperly. England. like the United
states feeds its army from behind.
That is, it sends food trains to follow
ach division. and these trains, equipped
18th the differert foods deal out Il
Zach regiment provisions. which arr
served to the men or are cooked aaG
scrved from the kitchens. The French
Ilso furnish Their men with food. cspe-
ally when they ar, fighting on he
offensive. as they have been SO far in
rhe present war. hut when they are in
IN enemy's country they follow largely
he system of the Germans that the
ountry should support the army IS
~ as possible. The Germans in the
present war have been able TO follow
this plan. so that it is probable that
they have not had 10 draw very largely
on their reserve stores.
This system of making the country
through which they are passing support
the army has its advantages and its
heen conducted the German army has
been steadily advancing and has passed
through country rich in resources.
The fighting part of the army sweeps
7n TO some new point. and after the bat
tie has ended and the men have settled
down for some hard-earned rest the
kitchens come up and furnish the SOL
diers with the evening meal and again
In the morning. unless the men are sur
prised by some early attack or an order
ri iG mr.
nished. AS soon as the new territory
mas been conquered foraginE parties
visit all the farm houses and villages
and seize everything of food value for
n" army.
The inha abitants arc told that they
have to furnish food for SO MANY men.
Every vestige of food that is growing
n the fields is gathered, the hay is
~eiZed for the horses. and when the
army moves on il has devastated the
r"Untry house and field. lust as an
army of locusts would. That works
well for the army unless it meets with
reverse. and then should il have 10
i'turn over the same ground there are
10 more stores to be seized. no more
|"od to he obtained. the retreat be-
'rmes a rout. and the men. hungry and
,Iod. rush on to get away from the
.remy and to get back TO their own
,orntry to find more food. 1t is the
me for horse as for man.
Catering a Science.
Catering for the army has be rof1a 4
science. Each country has its experts
who hay" figured cut just what is need
- for the mon NJ home and when IN
The field carrying arms. Each has iG-
rcd just what is necessary for all clirr
ates. and mon Nh" al.. sent to fighi
n cool climates have different food from
those sent to war an IN" tropics. The
have learned, too. hrt foods will ne
hcst TO nourish AID .usIain men i'm
'IciT tremendous 'rk and have .
lonjcd foods easy OF transportation ana
81 hiCh have as Iitue Waste as possible
300 preparation. This j; been done ,"T
NO reasons. II Is tSoluI"iy necessary
mat tho men ShO I'D rave good wh"'. o
-'rme food. and il = also an impUIttuI
fl"m thar this food should be pat u.'y
IL Httl" Spa"" As DoGSible in order "a
faCiliIal" JraHspurt4 ,"n.
Zach army mas its own fauJls. one
'ar!'r IL for t.. arlnN Wh,.' On + pea 4
fr'c'nP At hume su,i an" ptheT for Tie
mer " hen 'h"N az" in tI" nrid 'l-h, -
-, rmanv and France too have auo;ucr
ratIcn for IHr lnen " wa t:i,.v ~. tar H.;
part in the maneuvers. and with lh->.
TWO countries tbs TaIirus :,Ic Very
similar to the war rIIira
In all countries bread fuIms III. mos.
important part of the rat;"r Tn. BIt-
me French thirty-twO "un .--. and inC
,icrman twenty-siX and Ono-half ounces
20 each man. This bread il baked in
10 army ovens. III" German ovens AT'
Drawn 10y motors and they arrive wff
ne troops as soon - the battle Is U'"'
Fur each division Ih"r" sr" tWclN" "N"r'
nd these can urn out 2p'"'' l"HN'~ Z"
bread a day. Tn" yU"h iS mixed ~ :.
usual way Som"JiIh = this br" al .!
14rncd cu. On ui--aII 20 m. f-a'h rl'l
receives Two laiiJas. VI hICh n" Car.r
10 his hav,rsack -, d one Of tn
"y.us cau rurn out 800 bread ra''""'
"a day.
Tho Brrisa also Ha,e these he.'
,,,ns. uuI tu,v ais, :l.,"c portable
ritchcns w.I,.h are drawn nv horses a
b., motors Lud f. How lu.- aI:uV \bou
four men ar. necessary To mHnaS on
II Ihcs, kii.j"ns. .ind ;h"s. mel CUol
lhr meals for I'm" S-,l,l.v-. NlliCh i!
,.lNcd out 20 tE'm u,'r and morning
rs long rs !; is r"s-ibi Toy Item /,
d, 80.
Make Stews For Men.
These kIt hens nlAhe st"~s for thc
men. cook bacon. nLti- to-. .,r coffee.
ard with the British arm jtms dnt
raccts form a large pIrt o( their food
II has been laid thai tn. "rIuSl suldiri
"A the field lives Well and often ha:
g,haI mig l." termed iuN,ui"<. 1t,
s.ts his n. at. l. oan".s U"in" allowed