The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-01-06
GET TOO MUCH TO EAT.

plant about soldiers food lin the
field has just been received. An off,
Ger writes home to lament the num-
Der OF pounds he has added TO his
weight In the trenches, saying he
feeds almost too well without sufli-
cient exercise.
Napoleon, who said "An army fights
on its stomach" would be astonished
at the enormous demands upon the
endurance of the men in this war, for
he was never able to give his men
the strengthening food we'll regulated
armies receive nowadays.
/ call attention, for instance. to the
Battle Of Lule Burgas. The Turks lost
because they had been starving for
four days. The Bulgarians had their
stomachs full. The Turks were will
ling. but could not fight and on their
retreat many died Of sheer starvation.
Tho Pelg!ans and in many cases the
Germans in Belgium, have been weak
4
German system in general is excellent
But the British soldier has gotten his
meals with great regularity. Here is
list showing what each British pri-
vate receives every "a hours:
i IA In. Of fresh meat or
l lb. preserved meat,
1 IA Id. bread,
OF. bacon,
OF. cheese,
OF. jam,
3 OF. sugar,
1-2 lb. Of fresh vegetables or
OF. dried vegetables,
5-S or. Of tea. coffee or cocoa,
or of tobacco or SO cigarettes per
week.
This allowance is the result Of care
full study on the part of the scientists.
They have found that 1000 calories or
units are required to
keep a man alive if he is lying in bed
without mental or physical exercise.
For a man marching 20 miles a day
$500 calories day are necessary. The
British soldier receives 5000 calories
so he has 500 to spare.
In former British wars there has
been enormous corruption and chaos,
and the soldiers have often gone
hungry. Luckily, for two years before
the war broke out the director Of sup
plies and his staff had been studying
every detail Of the new method so
that when the great call came the
whole scheme was complete and per-
feet both Us regards supplies and
transport.
The contractor or middleman, the
source Of much corruption, in the
old days, has been removed and the
war office deals directly with manu-
facturers.
Acting in connection with the local
government board, tens Of thousands.
Of health officers all over tho world
inspect the factories and analyze the
food to prevent adulteration, impurity
or bad quality.
Another clever device is the meth
cd of delivery. The manufactures
must send his stores to the railway
without knowing their destination. If
this were not SO he might be able to
load inferior goods in ships for the
continent, knowing we'll that the boxes
would be opened up too far away for
inspection or complaint. Under the
new system these supplies must go
to the government food depots at
Liverpool, or Leads where they come
under the eyes Of health officers and
analysists.
The army had large reserves of
food wheA war broke out but in ten
days these had been doubled. A
stupendous plan was put into opera
ton and 1t worked wonderfully. In
France ard Belgium one sees tho army
service corps and passes their con-
voys on the roads. Interminally, the
motor trucks hurry from the base to
the fighting lines with Tommys daily
meals, with fresh bread baked on the
railways and often even with fresh