McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1918-07-05
FEEDING SOLDIERS
ON THE TRANSPORTS
MESS OFFICER OF THE VESSEL
MUST PROVIDE 10000 MEALS
AT SEA.
SOME OF THE 1870 VARIETIES

Money instead of Merchandise Should
Be Sent to the Troops in France
Dental Corps Can Care for 5000, 600
Men.
An account of how soldiers are fed
at sea Is given in the daily newspaper
published on transport:
Outside of providing 10000 meals
at sea, the mess officer of the ship has
very little to do. Very little.
"He is only called upon to provide.
by the regulations, $50 different vari-
cites of food. That's all. Every try
to order $50 different things to eat?
Yet this is the authentic list.
1.-THE food needed to feed several
thousand men at sea ranges beyond
the glutton's dreams. You get the an
swer in the ship down below the water
line. where 1890 loaves Of bread have
been baked In one day, and where you
stumble over every variety, from co.
600 pounds of beef to 10000 eggs, or
a compartment of brick ice cream in
a ten-degree-aboye-zero vault.
And If this doesn't suit, you can
bump along into 1924 pounds of po-
tatoes, 7.100 pounds of ham and bacon
1890 pounds of butter, 900 pounds of
sugar, and 61,500 pounds of flour.
IF you can't get meal out Of this
you can fall back on 4,600 pounds of
sausage, 5000 pounds of sauerkraut,
10000 pounds Of apples, 1880 pounds
of oranges, and 4,200 pounds of onions.
And this leaves out 1000 pounds of
jam and .9.4O0 pounds of lima and navy
BEANS"
The original order that the approval
of a regimental or higher commander
was necessary before packages might
be sent to members of the expedition
AIRY forces has been modified so officers
with the rank of major and higher
may approve shipments. The APP
proyal of company commander is
not sufficient.
The question of the shipment Of par
GELS to France first came to the atten-
ton Of the war department when the
commanding general of the expedition
airy forces cabled that congestion of
such articles had reached such point
that French railroads were unable to
handle the load. A board appointed
by the secretary Of war and the post
master general examined 5000 sacks
Of parcel-post mail, and found that the
articles being sent not only. in the
main, were absolutely unnecessary. but
undesirable. The investigation showed
that the amount Of such mail had
reached a total of 100000 pounds a
week, and was steadily increasing.
Relatives and friends, according to
q recent statement by the war depart
ment, will find they often can do a
greater service to soldiers by sending
them money for the purchase of ar
ticles. Tobacco is now being supplied
as part of the army rations. and mer-
chandise Of nearly all kinds may now
be purchased In France through the
huge general store established by the
quartermaster corps at lower prices
than charged by retailers here.
The dental requirements of an army
Of more than 100000 men can now be
met by the present force Of the dental
corps Of the United States army. Elk
aminations have been closed and no
further additions will be made to the
corps for some time. The number OF
dental officers has expanded since war
was declared from 5S to $50. Com
missions were offered to 5,487 dentists
in all parts Of the country, and all but
271 were accepted.
The average number Of tooth fill
ings In the army ranges from 225.O0C
TO 100000 month. Special dental
| infirmaries have been established II
| the camps and environments, to which
newly indicted soldiers are sent fol
examination shortly after arrival in
| the camps.
A school for dental instruction has
been established. where IS officers ars
assigned each month to take the two
months course.
The box-car situation Is better Al
present than II has been at any time
| during the last three years, according
to advice received by the department
Of agriculture from the railroad ad
| ministration.
! On May box cars began to move
into wheat territory, and wheat-carry
ing roads are expected to have or
their lines more than the normal
amount Of cars owned by them. Carr
are being parked in wheat-loading ter
rltory, which was impossible last year
| The railroad administration will con
tinue to move cars into wheat dis
tricts MS long as there is any indica
ton that additional cars will b
/ needed.
An advertisement In Berlin news
paper, reported by the Information
/ Belges, shows some Of the many use
to which paper Is being put In Ger
many:
Paper stuff for dresses and aprons
paper stuff for business suits.
paper stuff for manufacture o
suits.
paper stuff for upholstery and tar
estries.
Paper stuff for trunks and bags
Paper stuff for bags, pillowcase
and mattresses.
"Splendidly assorted lot for sale"
| The army medical department ha
developed mobile x-ray outfit TO
use near the front, carried on a mod