Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-12
Everybody Comes to Him for
Everything Wanted
in Camp.
HAS TO MAKE HIS PLANS
FOR MANY WEEKS AHEAD
New Plan for Mess Halls and Kltch-
ems Is Being Tried Out at
Camp 0rdway.

If you can't find it anywhere else go
to the quartermas ter.
The quartermaster must furnish
almost everything in the camp-food.
wood. transportation-and look after
the hundred and one needs of the Off
GERS and men of the camp. When the
cook is / eady for breakfast he finds
his bacon and other rations right at
his kitchen, laid down there by the
quartermaster: he finds wood on the
wood pile. brought there by the quar-
termaster. and if he has to go to
the city to get some extras for the
men he goes to the quartermaster and
gets his tickets.
Little does the cook realize that
his needs as he figures from day to
day are mapped out by the quarter
master weeks and even months ahead
of time. The auartermaster has TO
think of the needs of the troops a long
way ahead and in his mind he can see
the bacon and beef and other food ly-
ing outside of each company kitchen
Just as the cook sees it on the day it is
delivered.
Food Arrives on Time.
Every bit of food to feed the District
troops in camp arrived at the cook
tent on time. and due to the efforts of
the Quartermaster Corps. Maj. John {.
Whitaker is chief quartermaster. and
he has as his assistants Capt. E. NJ.
Nevis and Capt. D. Spencer Bliss.
Capt. Nevis looks after the transporta-
tion and Capt. Bliss after the sub
sistence, while Mai. Whitaker super
vises the whole.
The Quartermaster Corps is response
BILE for everything that comes into the
camp, and the officers must know
where every bit of material is and
where expendable material is used. The
corps is a gigantic machine, SO ar
ranged that if one cog breaks another
wheel starts. to the end that the SOL
diers get what they need at the time
they need it.
Supplies Must Be Up to Standard.
Funds are allotted to this camp to
be spent. and the quartermaster must
figure the best way to spend them. He
gets his rations from the quartermas-
ter stores. purchases his wood in the
open market and his meatoin the open
market. He must figure five days
ahead on his rations, and weeks and
weeks ahead when he wants his meats.
although meats are delivered daily
and regularly inspected to insure that
they are of the highest grade. The
meat must be from a steer not more
than six years of age, and unless it
comes IN to such specifications it is
rejected as not fit for Uncle Sans
troops.
The wagon transportation must be
provided by the quartermaster; the
buildings are put up under his direc-
ton. And the District Quartermaster
Corps is today putting up a building
that never before has been tried in any
re h.
is the best ever. and was worked out
by Maj. Whitaker and Capt Nevis. In
stead of separating the kitchens from
the screened mess halls as has been
the practice heretofore. and have the
doors continually opened as the men
draw their food, the kitchen will be
built on one end of the mess tents. SO
that the food will not go out in the
open while the men are getting 1t.
Scores of Carpenters Employed.
Several score of carpenters were put
TO work today putting up these mess
halls. which will cost $4,000 Although
the troops are expected to stay here but
Few days. it is considered to be
worth this expenditure in order to pro-
tect them, even for a few days, from
the flies, and to safeguard further their
health.
Although motor trucks were hired
curing the early part of the encannp-
ment to provide the transportation.
request has been sent to the War De-