Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-05-10
QUARTERMASTER DEPARTMENT BUSIEST
IN ARMY, NOW AND FOR. SOME TIME
Especial 10 The IIerald.)

busiest department of the army AT Tho
army at the present time, and probably foi
Il long time Ia come, l. the quartcrmas-
tiers Experiment. No one outside of the
service can have any idea III The number
this department ave To perform in time oi
war.
As laid down officially, il j, the duty Of
the quartcrmaStcr's department. under III,
direction of the secretary of war. 10 pur-
chase and distribute 10 the army all mill
tary stores and supplies. requisite for IL
use. which other corps are not directed
by law To provide; to f~urnislc means of
transportation for the army. lis military
stores and supplies, and TO provide for and
pay al incidental expenses Of the military
service which other corps are not directed
70 pay for and provide.
Nominally the duties of the quartcrmas-
tiers department embrace all details Of the
army organization affecting clothing, food
and quarters, but In practice the work
covers much more ground than these items
suggest. Every officer of the department
must be an accurate and intelligent book
keeper. for every article of the soldier
equipment l. in the care of the quarter
masters department and must be account-
cd for.
Blankets, tables. buckets. broomS and
many other articles in addition to arms and
other equipment are in keeping Of the
company quartcrma>tcr and he must Dc
lblc 10 produce or account for them M al
times. He i responsible for the cleanli-
ness and hygiene of the soldiers quarters.
lie i responsible for the men being well fed
and given plenty Of variety in their diet
The quick and orderly distribution of meals
: his special province. and he j. expected
70 see that there j. no waste.
The company q~uarterma~tcr must also
see that his men are well clothed and well
Shod, and must keep a record of all the
articles Of kt m each mans possession. re
placing any garments or undertaking
which become worn out bv fair wear and
tear; and charging the men. through their
accounts, for anything lost or DESTROYED
owing "a carele>>ncSS. Beyond this ~ ~
expected 10 know the whercahout Of every
man of his company ~ that he may figure
how many men will be I'm mess" every
day, 20 that he can indent accurately for
the amount of ration- required.
The amount of work which these various
details involve in the matter of an army
of several hundred thousand men j. diff
tlculi IT, appreciate. especially a. the '.dn-
ration Of war" soldier, hcing unframed IN
army routine and methods. cannot he cx-
.pcctcd ~ look after himself and hi, be-
longing~ w carefully a. could NJ desired.
The army !, fortunate in havin. NJ the
head of the quartermaster's department At
the present time I'm officer of unlimited ex-
pcricncc IN the dutic- which NJ i, called
upon To- perform. Major General George
VI. Sharpe served for more than ten years
~ commiSsary general of the army before
hlS appointment a. puartcrma~tcr- general
and enjoys the reputation Of being one of
the best equipped officers who ever belong
cd 10 the commiSSary corps. lie possesses
4 thorough knowledge Of the history. scope
and details Of the subsistence department.
know the quality and worth Of every ward
of cloth that goes INTO nm army uniform.
and has analvzcd AL the multifarinr- ar
ilclc~ ut food that are purchased or pro
cured for the soldiers. There IL NJ field
of activity in hi department that he has
not mastered by personal study and cx-
pcricncc.
While stationed 1T st. Louis some wears
ago Gen. Sharpe wrote a book ON "Thc Art
nf Subsl~ting Armies IN War" Ii traces
the rise and development Of the art of sup
plying armies. and u Il text hook and his
on THE Art of Supplying Armies in the
Field a. EXcmplificd in the Civil War" and
II won the first prize offered III 1895 i'll the
contest of the Journal Of the Military Ser
vice Institution of the United States.
in the Spanish American war General
Sharpe served ~ chief rnmmi-~ary If the
army concentrated ~ Chicknmauga prep
.~araiury ia the invasion of Cuba and Porto
Rico. From Chickamauea he wen 10 Por-
to Rico with the invading army ~ chief
commi~sary Of the command of Major Gen
sral Brooke. Subsequently he served n
chief commiS~ary Of the Philippine de
partmcnt.
Ardent SuItor-I hay my fortune ~ ynur
feet.
Fair Iady-Your fortune. I didn't know
Won had nnc.
Ardent Suit"r Wen. II isn't much If 4 for
tune. but it viii look large beside those tiny
feet Exchange.