The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-23
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INF FORM A TION
BUREAU
THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR THE
United STATES.
Washington, d. c

ON11LD SlA1E<,.
Washington, d. c., Nov. 20 Feast
ing in moderation is to be the order OF
the day at the civilians Thanksgiving
dinner celebration this year. Every
body is expected to remember that oth-
er nations are subsisting on tight belt
rations, and that only by moderation
in use of food on our part can this
condition be bettered.
At the request of the food admins
tration, Thanksgiving dinner will be
home grown as far as possible. II you
neglected to plant a pumpkin vine or
raise a turkey in your backyard, you
can make up for it by patroniz1ng the
grocer and butcher around the corner.
and accepting the produce of your own
state instead of demanding delicacies
imported from the other side of the
country. At the end OF this story Is a
menu which the food administration
has furnished as embodying its ideas
of what Thanksgiving dinner should
be-
Despite the coming of peace, the
food proposition is a bigger puzzle than
ever. To help make the worlds food
supply go round the American citizen
is respectfully asked by the food adj
ministration not to exercise his pre-
rogative of overeating on Thanksgiv-
ing day. If he leaves the table slightly
hungry, according to the directions of
health experts, he can add to his list
of things to be thankful for the fact
that the cost of his dinner Is thereby
lowered and that he need not fear
the indigestion of the day after. Fur
ing supplies has figured economically,
instead of ordering recklessly in ap-
proved holiday style, the family can be
thankful that it will not be regaled
with turkey salad on Friday, turkey
hash on Saturday. and turkey soup on
Sunday.
Because the United States Is now
supporting an army of over 100000
men in the camps over here. the tur-
key supply in the open market will be
somewhat smaller than usual. This
does not mean that the civilians
prospects for a regular Thanksgiving
dinner will be blasted. There will be
a respectable collection OF turkeys left
even after the war department has
corralled its 10000 or more. OBJ
viously, however, turkey will be ex-
pensive and rather scarce. In view
of this. goose, duck, chick en- and other
fowl are suggested as lust as good"
as the national bird, and n plentiful
supply of the substitutes will exc cut
the turkey crop, so that nearly every
body can have a bird" to furnish the
Thanksgiving day atmosphere.
Whether the civilian feasts on tur-
key or Irish 81 ew on Thanksgiving day,
men in camp in this country will have
their share of turkey as per army reg
| ulations. Some thoughtful co-author
OF the regulations long ago wrote into
that solemn collection of rules the in
struction that turkey sh ould be served
! to the soldiers of the United States
| army on Thanksgiving day and Christ
mas--whenever practicable. Accord
1ngly, army turkey connoisseurs have
| looked over the market and engaged
\ the best birds that our farms have
produced. No war-rationed turkey.
are acceptable; to be eligible for the
army ia Die an applicant must come uI
to a high standard of size, pulchritude
and plumpness.
Cranoerries, celery and the Other
| 'fixings" of O. traditional Thanksgiyine
| dinner were overlooked by the author
OF the turkey statement in the arm,
| regulations, and therefore the war de.
partment assumes no responsibility fol
them. Discounting the turkey. ths
soldiers Thanksgiving dinner Is up t.
| his mess sergeant and his company
feasts or diets according to that indi.
viduafs skill as financier. In prac.
| tically every instance, the mess ser
/ geant who volues his life and popu
larity will shop early for Thanksgiv.
i ing, and if necessary eliminate extra.
from his menus for other days.
Had it been possible to foresee armi
tice arrangements. troops oversee,
would have been furnished with tur.
Key and other special rations fol
Thanksgiving day. To ship these sup.
plies to the forces abroad would have
required three months start, and three
months ago our troops were moving
SO continuously that it would have
been impossible to get the special pro
visions distributed among them or
the proper day. This makes it neces
sary for the mess sergeants overseai
to concoct materials for THANKSGIVING
Idinner out of their regular supplies
supplemented by such Thanksgiving
day dishes as are procurable in war
stricken France.
In the navy. Thanksgiving day is al
days time of celebration. 1t Is tn,
idea of the navy department this yea
that circumstances warrant an unus
ually thankful frame of mind on tn
part of the blue Jackets. AS it Is
well-recognized fact that thankfulnes
on Thanksgiving day is instill<d int,
the sailor largely by means of Chow,
prospects are considered good for tn
best Thanksgiving dinner the navy de
partment can afford. Already turkey
and other appropriate items of holida
fare are on their way to the Unite,
States ships In FAR Pacific and south
ern waters. Every ship in the nav
| will be reached If possible in time 70
| Thanksgiving" says the navy's bureau
of supplies and accounts.
Because the navy is smaller, an
therefore easier to feed, than the arm
a full Thanksgiving dinner can be fur
. nished it without throwing the coun
try into a state of bankruptcy and de
pleting the market. Cigars, candy
: fruit and ice cream are mentioned cas-
, ually by the navy department as par
, of the holiday dinner on board q bat
tleship or torpedo chaser.
All things considered. American
everywhere will have Thanksgivin
dinner. Turkey may be lacking i
some cases. and the four kinds of pi
which once closed the feast may b
only a tradition of ante bellum day
' but "reminiscences of much to b
p thankful for will dominate tn
!, Thanksgiving day Of every true Ameri