The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-21
National Defense Problems
HI--Lessons Of the War--C ornrDissary
By Frederic J. Haskin.

By Frederi
ssE,ss1sse:e e
The old adage that it Is an II
wind which fails to blow good 20
someone has seldom been better IL
Illustrated than in the case of the
lit has taught the military services OF
1.-The United States.
Prior to the commencement OF the
lconfiict abroad, this country, in COM
mon with other world powers. realiz-.
led that its military equipment was
mot exactly up-to-date. SO Tar as EN-
cheney and preparedness went Wars
have to be toukAt IN order to pre-:
pare for war and there had been no
Iconfiict OF any size sincesthe Russo
Japanese war. the lessons of which
became anttQuated and Obsolete
within the decade which followed.
The entire world realized that their
military and naval ornaments need
| ed the stimulus of actual warfare TO
perfect them, but nS1e q the powers
desired to be the teach all WISH ;;
| ed to be pupils in the school OF Mars.
Then the European war broke ana
/ tie United States was left in the en-
ylable position of being the largest
ltcholar. taking a course in the max
ing OF war from a faculty of ex-
perienced professors practically
Without cost. The greatest war IN
| the history OF the world was being
fought and all Uncle Sam had to do
| to benefit by the experience of ma
dollars day In the field was to
send few military experts abroad
| to study the new weapons of war
and their application in modern
campaigns.
Experts Sent.
Always on the lookout for any
opportunity for beneftting the hun
dred million persons who owe ale
glance to the Stars and Stripes, the
government dispatched small corps
OF military experts to the seat of war
soon after the firs1 declaration of
hostilities and the reports of these
oficers have insured the United
States against lack of preparation IN
military matters for years to come.
So, when President Wilson called
upon his military experts Tor re-
Communications with the idea IN
mind Of asking Congress to give him
perts had the l.SlLzt information at
their finger tips.
Holding first place among the les
sons they had learned, is the mo-
dern method Of feeding an army in
time of war, method which has I'M
dergone vast improvements within
the last three decades.
1t was formerly the custom 70
furnish soldiers in the field with
their rattons in an knocked state.
The troops prepared their food over
camp fires. using their own utensils
for the purpose. But camp fires are
no longer lighted-they provide en-
tirely too good a target for the
enemy's long-range artillery and
bonn b-dropping aircraft. The camp
fire of the Civil war period mas
passed into history together with the
tented cities which housed the sleep
Ing troops. Nowadays the soldiers
light their way with electric nash
lights and sleep in the trenches.
Range ON Wheels
AS it is hardly practicable to COOK
cnes food over a pocket fash-hgnI,
some other method had to De SUD-
stituted for preparing the rattons OF
the troops. The modern field kitchen
wheels. capable of preparing the
food for hundreds of soldiers. was
the Improvement finally adopted
2 broad and the result has exceeded
all expectations.
In the first place the field kitchen
has done avs with the intestinal
disorders and stomach troubles that
troops suffered from SO extensively
when they cooked their own FOOD, |
Men who had fought hard ana
MARCHED all day were usually too
tired at night to give their atten-
tfon to cooking In consequence,
needing nourishing food as they ola.
they provided themselves with any
and ran down physically
as result. The field kitchen now
supplies them with hot nutritious
food, we'll cooked and appettzingiy
In modern warfare the soldier IN
the trenches is certain to receive
his hot coffee and bread IN the NOR !
ING substantial MONDAY meal, and |
a supper that will help him recuper-
ate from the labors of the day. Be