The Mena weekly star., 1918-03-21
Rations.


 Just dozlng off ATr. Lance Corporal butted in.
 Tn Tommy's eyes q lance corporal Is one degree below private In the corporal's eyes he is one degree above a general.
 He ordered me to go with him and help him draw the next days ratlons, also told me to take my waterproof.
 Every evening from each platoon or machine-gun section lance corporal and private go to the quartermaster sergeant at the company stores and draw rations for the following day.
 The quarter" as the quartermaster sergeant is called, receives daily from the orderly room (captain's office) a slip showing the number of men en- titled to rations so there is no chance of putting anything over on him. Many arguments take place between the quarter" and the platoon nOncom. but the former always wins out. Tommy says the quarter got his job because he was burglar in civil life.
 Then l spread the waterproof sheet oil the ground, while the quartermas- ter's tatman dumped the rations on 1t. The corporal was smokifg flag. carried the rations back to the billet. The corporal was still smoking a flag. How envied him. But when the issue commenced my envy died and l real ized that the first requisite. of a non- commissioned officer on active service is diplomacy There were 19 men in our section, and they soon formed a semicircle around us after the corporal had called out. "Rations up"
 The quartermaster sergeant had given a slip to the corporal on which was written a list of the rations Sit ting on the floor, using a wooden box as a table, the issue commenced On the left of the corporal the rations were piled. They consisted of the fol- lowing:
 Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf of a different size, perhaps one out of the six being as fiat as q pancake, the result of an army service corps man placing box of bully beef on 1t dur lnB uuuspoFlhuOus
 Three tins of jam, one apple and d. other two plum.
 Seventeen Bermuda onions. all diff ferent sizes.
 A piece of cheese in the shape of a wedge.
 Two one-pound tins of butter.
 A handful of raisins.
 A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls them jaw breakers"
 A bottle of mustard pickles.
 The bully beef spuds, condensed milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono- chic rations" Ca can filled with meat, vegetables and greasy water), had been turned over to the company cook to make a stew for next days dinner. He also received the tea, sugar, salt, pep per and flour.
 Scratching his head, the corporal studied the slip issued to him by the quarter. Then in slow, mystifed voice he read out, "No. section, 19 men. Bread, loaves, six" He looked puzzled and sollloquized In musing voice:
 "Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see, that's three in a loaf for fifteen men well, to make it even, four of you'll have to muck in on one loaf"
 The four that got stuck made howl, but to no avail. The bread was dished out. Pretty soon from far corner of the billet, three indignant Tommies ac- costed the corporal with:
 What do you call this. loaf of breadf Looks more like sniping plate."
 The corporal answered.:
 Well. don't blame me, I didn't bake 1t; somebody's got to get 1t, so shut up until I dish out these blinkin ra- tions."
 Then the corporal started on the jam,
 Yam, three tins-apple one, plum two, Nineteen men, three tins. Six In tin makes twelve men for two tins. seven in the remaining tin"
 He passed around the jam, and there was another riot. Some didn't like apple, while others who received plum were partial to apple. After a while differences were adjusted and the Issue went on..
 Bermuda onions. seventeen"
 The corporal avoided a row by say Ing that he did not want an onion, and said they make your breath smell, so l guessed l would do without one too. The corporal looked his gratitude.
 Cheese, pounds, two"
 The corporal borrowed a jackknife