Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-09-23
YANKEE TROOPS
HAVE FOOD FOR
THREE MONTHS
Vast Amount of Provisions Is
in the Warehouses of
France to Be Cooked
for Soldiers.

Tours, Central France, Sept. 2l--
The American army in Europe could
be fed and clothed and all its crea-
ture comforts looked after for three
months if not another pound of sup
plies was secured. This was the
statement made here by officers OF
the army quartermaster' depart
ment, which directs the mammoth
work of supplies.
1t gives an idea of the vast stock
OF reserve resources stored in the
miles of warehouses stretching from
the coast inland to the fighting line,
and it is a comforting assurance,
too, that this huge reserve will be
kept up through the coming winter
period so that the American SOL
dier's warmth, as we'll as his food
and clothing, will be fully looked
after.
Huge Undertaking.
1t is huge undertaking to feed a
million men even for a single day
a million men scattered to a thou
sand points, in trenches, on battle
fields and camps, along 800 miles of
front and for depth of 500 miles.
And when are added housing and
clothing, and the period is extended
through the winter months of cold
and frost, with the prospect that
another million or two men may be
headed this way before long-with
these elements one gets some idea Of
the magnitude Of the supply problem
for a million or more men.
Here at the center of the system,
where the receipts are regulated and
the distribution made, there was an
opportunity of learning some of the
details of how the system operates.
Vast Amount of Food.
In the food branch alone, it takes
over 100000 pounds of food every
day to feed the army. This prodigi-
Gus daily consumption of food en-
braces million pounds of flour
baked into a million pounds of bread
every day, $4,000 pounds OF fresh
beef, $4,000 pounds of potatoes,
100000 pounds of sugar and $4,000
pounds of tomatoes. The pepper
and salt for a single day is 1880
pounds.
Army coffee is roasted at the rate
of 10000 pounds day, and it takes
10000 pounds of solicited alcohol
to cook this coffee through the
month.
Beef Bulkiest Product.
The beef is the bulkiest product
used each day, and occupies daily
space of $4,000 cubic feet, or about
the dimensions of a business block,
OF solid meat. Flour comes next,
Z requiring $4,000 cubic feet of daily
space. and potatoes about the same,
These are only few of the main
items. But the list runs all through
the many requirements of the over
Sea army ration, with vast quantities
in each case. Here are some of the
other daily items:
Bacon, 225,00O pounds; beans. IS
con npounds; rice, $4,000 pounds;
! onions. $4,000 pounds evappfated
/ fruit, 10000 pounds; jam, 10000
pounds; milk, 62,500 pounds, vine
: gar, 10000 pounds; lard, 10000
. pounds; butter, 81 900 pounds; strip,
, 10000 pounds.
Must Deliver Daily.
These, being included in the over
sea ration, everyone of the 1000
900 men is entitled to his full al
lowance and it must go forward to
him, wherever he is. So that besides
the vast daily stock there is the ques-
ton Of unfailing daily delivery first
by railways and canton trains, and
then to the individual soldier.
Often on the field or in the
trenches he is supplied from mar
mites, or huge thermos bottles car
rying hot food for eight men, and
often, too, the delivery In h. the
trenches is by the Yukon pack used
in Alaska and by the Hudson. Bay.
voyageurs and Indians.
Besides this 100000 pounds of
food moving forward daily to the
troops, each man carries with, him
two days emergency ration, FIVE
pounds to the man, or an addition
al 100000 pounds Of food for an
army of million men. Of the emer-
gency ration, carried on the back,
there is outstanding every day 1000
600 pounds OF corned beef and 1000
900 pounds of bareback, 100000
pounds of sugar, $500 pounds of
coffee, 10000 pounds of salt and
100000 pounds of solidified alcohol
for heating and cooking while on
the march.