The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-08-16
FOOD Of SOLDIERS
GIVEN GREAT CARE
NUTRITION OFFICERS WHO ARE
EXPERTS BEING STATIONED
IN THE ARMY CAMPS.
EDIBLE WASTE IS REDUCED

Navy Department Sends Uniformed
Desk Men to Active Service-An-
cient Armor Supplies Models for
Modern American War Equipment.
Nutrition officers are to be stationed
In every National army cantonment
and in every National Guard camp, as
well as in every camp where 10000 or
more soldiers are in training, the war
department announces. These men are
food specialists. Before they joined
the army as members of the division
of food and nutrition of the medical
department they were connected with
colleges and public bodies as physiolo-
gists, chemists, economists, food in
spectors and experts In other special
lied work relating to food.
Since last October these officers
have gone from camp to camp, studied
the food served, how it was inspected,
stored and prepared, and made recon-
mendations resulting in many advan-
tageous changes. They gave instruc-
tons in the principles Of nutrition, the
proper selection of foods and the con-
struction of dietaries to mess officers,
medical officers and others interested.
They told how to avoid waste, gave
methods for judging and storing food,
and emphasized the Importance of
keeping kitchens and mess halls clean
and orderly.
AT one camp seven companies were
selected from various organizations
totaling 1,135 men with which to try
out an anti-waste plan. The average
edible waste was found to be 1.12
pounds per man per day. The nutri-
ton officer gave the mess sergeants
and cooks instructions in food and
mess economy with the result the aver
age edible waste was reduced to DAB
pounds per man per day, saving Of
O.69 pounds. This saving amounted to
$61.75 per day for the seven messes, or
$22.542 per year.
Sixty new officers are to be commits
stoned in the division of food and nu-
triton to handle the additional work.
All will be food specialists similar to
those already in the service. They
will advise about the composition and
nutritive values Of all dietaries, make
inspections for authorizations, spoilage
and deterioration and cooperate with
the mess officials,
ArmOr for the American soldiers,
helmets, shields and breastplates, is
being modelled in the workshops of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York, the war department announces.
The best of the types used by the SOL
diers of former days is being wrought
into shapes for present warfare, some
pieces on ancient anvils and by ham,
mers that were actually used centuries
ago.
In direct charge of the workshop
where the work is being done is
French artisan whose skill has been
known to armor collectors the world
over, and whose forbears for genera
lions back have kept alive the dying
trade of the armorer.
This war in Europe has brought
back into use many discarded weapons
and practices of medieval warfare.
There has been the adoption of steel
helmets by all the warning powers,
breastplates, armOred waistcoats and
trench shields. This necessitated an
overhauling and new study Of ancient
armor. with the result that experts de-
clare that scarcely technical idea has
been brought forward which was not
worked out in elaborate detail by the
old-time armor makers.
The Metropolitan museum collection
is among the seven great collections of
ancient armor. 1t is an incident to this
collection that there was established
at the museum an armorer's workshop.
So far as known it is unique. In it
were cleaned, repaired and restored
pieces that were defective. Daniel
Tachaux, a French artist, was in
charge. He is working now under the
direction of Major Bashford Dean of
the ordnance department.
Armor models are being turned out
there in accordance with the sugges-
tons Of General Pershing and the ord
nance department. Twenty-Five diff
ferent types of armor defenses have
been made in various factories in ex-
perimental lots, several in many thou
sands of pieces, which have won ia
vor at army headquarters. The eff
cacy of armor protection for the SOL
diers is indicated by reports that more
than 40 per cent Of the hospital cas-
ualties suffered were leg wounds and
about 33 per cent arm wounds, the legs
and arms of the fighters being free
from armor cover.
While Y. NJ G. A. workers In bat
tle-torn region of France were carry
ing delicacies to American soldiers In
the front line trenches they left their
storehouse deserted. French soldiers
entered the storehouse to guard Che
supplies. They found chewing gum,
thought it food, stuffed whole pack
ages into their mouths, masticated it
for time and then tried to swallow
it. Some succeeded in getting it down.
There were no casualties, but the
French soldiers were inspired with a
high regard for American digestive APP
paratuses