Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-07-19
OMAHA POST TO
FEED VAST ARMY
FOR WORLD WAR
Commissary Department to Be
Enlarged to Meet Rapidly In
Creasing Demands; Feeds
Troops West Mississippi.

The commissary department of the
United States army in Omaha is be-
ing enlarged to meet the rapidly
growing demands of the vast armies
now being modified for service in
the great world war.
All troops within the Thirteenth
division of states, including Nebraska,
Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas,
receive their supplies from the quar-
termaster stationed in Omaha.
This means that the vast numbers
of men pouring in and out of Fort
Smelling and Fort Des Moines, all the
men modified at. Fort Crook and
Fort Omaha and a score of other
army posts throughout these states
are fed and clothed with supplies
from the Omaha depot. e..
Practically all the food used by
these thousands of soldiers is bought
in Omaha. ".
And as far as possible everything
else going out from this depot is
bought in Omaha. To Omaha mer-
chants in the last few weeks have been
given thousands of dollars worth of
contracts for food, clothing, hardware
and other army supplies.
And this is just beginning. With
the coming of the big draft army the
business of the comissary department
will be increased tenfold and Omaha
concerns will profit proportionately.
All West of Mississippi.
Besides supply the Thirteenth di-
vision with all army requirements,
the Omaha depot sends out all the
meat for the entire army west of the
Mississippi river, with the possible
exception OF some southwestern
states. The meat is bought under con-
tract from the packing houses.
Colonel F. A. Grant, quartermaster
statioi,~d here, will today ask for au-
thority to Immediately build q new
60xl75 feet in anticipation
of increasing demands upon his de-
partment.
II expect that shortly we will be
$4,000 troops from our
depot" said Colonel Grant. A large
will be quartered at Fort
Crook, where they will co and { },
and the rest at other points in the
Thirteenth division, which we supply.
This includes Iowa, Nebraska Min
nesota ant the Dakotas.
"We will first equip the a>tional
Guard and senl them off. Ten will
come the big draft army. Tents or
other housing structures Will be put
up at Fort Crook to accom- date
more troops.
Some Large Contracts.
''The depot in Omaha is the only
one supplying meat west of St. Louis.
We buy the meat for all the west and |
northwest, for the Hawaiian islands,
the Philippines and Guam. Every bit |
Of this meat is bought from the pack
ers here. There are other depots in
the west, but they get their meat
through us.
Whenever possible we buy Our
supplies in this city. We are now
giving contracts worth thousands of |
dollars to Omaha, concerns for gro
:eries, hardware, etc. We are hav-
ing no difficulty in getting supplies |
either here or from other points. The |
railroads are cooperating with us
splendidly and as soon as the requi-
sitions come in for provisions and |
clothing we will ship them right |
along to the troops.
All the pork and sausage, every bit
IF fresh beef, every side of bacon
md every ham that goes to western
divisions of the army will come from
Omaha.
Supplies for $4,000 Men.
1--WE have at present, either in the
or enroute from Boston,
Philadelphia and other places, equip
nent for $4,000 men.
"Since the Mexican trouble we have
been supplying only small number,
IS few troops were left in the posts.
But we expect to be extremely busy
rom now on. Besides provisions, we
furnish the soldier with uniform, toilet
shoes--in fact, everything he
needs. His only expenses are for
and laundry"
I i.Rnat Needs Time !