The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-12-06
BY JAMES II. COLLINS.

BY JAMES II. COLLINS.
Washington.--A British naval officer
who has been doing teamwork with
the American destroyers in the subma-
rine zone said the other day: There
are Just three points upon which I
would want to criticize Uncle Sans
sailors: First, they are too well fed /;
second, they are too well clothed /;
third, they are too well paid"
The best fed body Of men In the
world" our navy has been pronounced,
and the figures just compiled for the
navy ration this year show that the
high standard has been maintained.
despite the rise In the cost Of food ar
ticles, with very little extra expense to
Uncle Sam.
War has added some complications
to the task of feeding the navy, for
the number of men has suddenly in
creased from about $4,000 to more than
100000, and hundreds of small patrol
boats and submarine chasers have been
manned by our sailors on duty in coast
defense districts and elsewhere. Uncle
Sam has been able to maintain his
navy diet economically by large pur-
chases for the increased forces.
Uncle Sam feeds his Sailors not ex-
actly regardless Of cost, but with cost
always the secondary consideration.
AS Admiral MCGOWAN, paymaster gen.
eral Of the navy puts it.: "Cost is
by-product" What the sailor eats Is
governed by the revised statutes,
which specify the quantities Of the
various food staples which may be is
sued to each man In the naval service,
and good nourishment and palatabil-
ity come first, with cost figured out at
the end of the year after the men
have been fed
Increase in Cost.
The navy ration for 1917 cost
$04405 as against S0.37648 for 1915.
These mystic decimals indicate an in
crease in the average cost of the ration
of about 20 per cent over the preced-
ing year. Statistics compiled by the
department of labor show that there
was an increase of 40 per cent in the
wholesale prices of the principal items
of food. Had the navy ration in
creased In cost to che same extent, the
outlay would have been slightly over
$4,000 a day more, or 100000 more
on the year, which may be regarded as
money saved.
The navy's high standard of diet
was maintained with economy by the
rigid enforcement of the regulations |
the purchase Of patent and |
foods by closely scrutiniz- !
ing all reports of the survey of provi- |
sions rendered unfit for use, so that all
causes for loss could be eliminated by
in every case where ships
operating under the same conditions
showed marked difference in the cost
Of the ration by making cakes. pies,
Ice cream, and so forth, on board ship,
instead of buying them ashore; and by
care in buying provisions at seasons
when they were most plentiful, and the
pest prices could be obtained
The navy ration is as much q matter
If pride to the officials who have 1t in
,harge as are the craftsmanship rec
,rds of officers of the fleet.
Schedule of Weeks Meals.
Believing that the proof Of the
budding is In the eating" the navy
ubmits a complete weekly schedule Of
meals served to the enrolled men on
GARD battleship at sea, the provi- I
ions being furnished by supply ship,
o that this schedule may be taken as {
n illustration of what is accomplish I
d In feeding the navy under the most {
ifficult conditions: {
MONDAY. :
bacon, fried eggs,
,ast, rolled oats, milk and sugar, bread, | Y
utter, coffee. h
fricassee with dumplings. !,
ashed potatoes, kidney beans, apple pie J
-ead, butter. coffee.
soup. crackers, roast \
bs of beef. onion gravy, ginger cake. n
m, bread butter, tea.
TUESDAY. t.
bologna, fried pota ;.
es rolled oats. milk and sugar, bread, y
liter, coffee. 81
soup, crackers mash q
potatoes, kidney beans, apple pie, =,
cad, butter, coffee.
hamburger steak, fried III
ions, lyonnaise potatoes, cocoanut cake, til
lit jam, bread. butter. tea. m
WEDNESDAY. fo
sc
Breakfast Cereal, milk, and sugar, df
xed beans. tomato catsup, ginger cake, &c
Is, bread butter. coffee. &c
soup, crackers roast ne
cken with sage dressing mashed pota-
8. creamed carrots with peas, jelly lay or
cake, ice cream. bread. butter, coffee.
upper = Salmon salad, mayonnaise III
ssing, baked macaroni and cheese, rice an
tard, bread, butter, tea.
THURSDAY.
tn
-eakfast = BroiIed beefsteak. onion Of
wv, mashed potatoes, chilled sliced In
,apple, bread, butter. coffee. ~,
veal outlets, tomato 'h'