The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-01-08
SOLDIERS OF ALLIED
ARMIES WELL FED
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the French are little addicted to the
tea habit. In France I heard this
story of an English mother who had
just received a letter from her son
at the front:
"My poor boy!" the mother dis
tracted explained. 'Ee is undergo
ing enormous sacrifices and hard
|shipsi He writes me that few days
ago he was obliged to go from 9
O'Clock in the morning until six that
evening without lunch and no tea
was served that day at ALL" ~.
y Always Eating.
! Were the war to stop at this mo-
ment by mental picture of a British
soldier would be very healthy look
ing individual standing by the side
of a newly opened packing case eat
ing roast beef from a tin. have seen
him at numerous points along the
line and it seems to me he is always
eating. #54 T.|'#. ::, :
The Frenchman has two meals a
day plus his morning coffee. The
two big meals are at, or around II
O'Clock. In the morning and $3.50 or
O'Clock in the afternoon. Usually
his meat and vegetables are served
together, as they are cooked, the
mixture being stew prepared in
huge pots or boilers. His ration is
served him by the cook who ladies
out piece of meat and the regula-
ton amount of rice, beans or peas,
in his ''gamelle,' or CASSEROLE, which
is part of his equipment If you have
ever seen a picture of French
soldier in full marching order you
have noticed this utensil strapped to
the top of his knapsack. He eats
his meals with his pocket knife or
fingers unless he has provided him.
|self with one of the many varieties
of collapsible knives and forks.
VIII 0dkcu 0Tc6u |!
But where all does this food come
from; How does it arrive at the
front; How is the fIod collected and
handled; Who baked the bread, where
and how?
victualing stations we'll out of harms
way back of the line. Then there is
what is called a "control," which
bureau unifies the thing and prevents
too much of any material going to
one station and too little to another.
Long before war was declared the
War Department had tabulated the
average output of food stuffs in each
Department of France. 1t was al
ready understood that, in case of war,
each department was to furnish so
much of this or that article. The
thing works automatically now that
it is started, the government paying
the departments for everything as it
is bought. The departments send to
pre-arranged destinations, otherwise
to certain one of the score of re-
victualing stations
Buy From Aboard.
Coffee, tea, part of her -four and so
on, France buys abroad and the re-
victualing stations are supplied from
central warehouses in the various
ports.
The revictualing stations handle
-four, but not wheat. The flour is
made into bread at these stations,
tens of gigantic ovens, in long rows
being employed, soldiers, formerly
bakers, doing the work.
The flour goes first to the station
warehouses, upon it's arrival From
there it is taken to "standardizing"
room above the mixing pans. In this
room, flours from the United States,
South America, Canada, Russia,
France and elsewhere, are mixed, or
blended so that the quality will al
ways be the same. Were this not so
one soldier would get superb white
bread while his bunkie got dark
looking and less palatable loaf. By
blending the -four of all nations, the
ultimate loaf is standardized. The
-four IS poured out upon a metalcov-
cred floor and mixed with shOvels.
Nearby, are holes in the floor.
These holes are chutes leading to
the giant, cast iron dough-mixers
below. These mixers are steam op-
Grated, great paddles and wheels
turning and working the dough to
the proper consistency. Once pro-
perly worked the bread is put into
"a basket holding about 200 pounds
and passed on to the weighers and
then to the ovens.
1 have the word of the soldiers
themselves that they get all they
want to eat and that what they get
is 'good." J. .
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