Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-10-24
FOOD FOR THE ARMY

6QluitLc dtC LEU 3itN SAOstSt ~ 49,
government. Officers buy their own
clothing and pay for their own food
During the fiscal year ended June
80, the food for the army cost $425.-
000, 100000.
Feeding the soldier from the time
he leaves home until he embarks for
Europe is subject by itself, Feed
ing him on shipboard and overseas,
both in camp and on the firing line,
is another.
A soldiers food for one day is
called a ration. This ration con-
sists of twenty-seven different arr
ticles, which must be ready daily,
and they are ready. General Perish
ing reports that no man in France
has had to wait for meal when
that meal was due, and the same is
true on this side.
The materials in the soldiers ra-
ton will stand the acid test. Nothing
second in grade is bought. Only the
best of meat is procured and it is
handled in central place in each
lcamp by butchers; the cuts are thus
used to the best advantage and waste
of bones and surplus fat avoided.
Packers are required to can the
best variety of fruits and vegeta-
bles and the Department has gone
into those states where the finest
grade of tomatoes, corn, onions, peas
and beans are grown and has taken
such portions of the crop as were
needed for army use. Last August
I27, 527 500 pounds of potatoes and
lonions were furnished camps and can
tonments in this country; and during
the eight months prior to June 3,
1918, about 100000 cans Of toma-
toes were used, enough to reach
from the battle front on the Marine
to Linda, California, II they were
lined up end to end.
Dried and evaporated fruits form
an important part of the army ra-
ton. Approximately so,o0o,00o lbs.
of prunes, dried apples and peaches,
i. mostly from California, will be pur-
chased from this years crop, and
California will also supply about TO-
100000 cans of aprieot's peaches,
cherries and pears. The cherry seed
will be saved for use in the manu-
facture of gas masks. Prunes have
an honorable place on the soldiers
bill of fare. 1t has been proven that
the prune has food value, fruit value
: tonic value, and such as confec-
ton. Moreover it has been recon-
mended by the Surgeon General Of
the army.
Lemon drops are the soldiers ia
vorite candy and are made of pure
granulated sugar favored with an
y emulsion from lemon rind. About
100000 pounds have been furnished
: the army up to last August; this
constitutes fifteen per cent of the
army candy supply.
At present the army is using 1850
: 900 pounds of butter and 10000 lbs
> of oleomargarine. AS the season ad-
: vances and butter becomes scarce
I the amount of oleomargarine will be
2 increased until the quantities are a
E bout even. From the first of Janu
e ary until the first of August, 1918
more than 50O,000O 600 pounds O
7 -four has been furnished for army
! use There has never been mea
= where the soldiers did not have breat
9 Our men in service here have uset
4 a greater amount Of substitutes than
. the Food Administration has aske'
Of the civilian. trade.
. Our soldiers in France have breaC
y plenty of it-made from one hun
. dred per cent wheat.
= Soldiers love coffe and want i
Is strong. Sixteen schools are in OPP
~ Grafton here and in France teaching
= them how to roast it and it is serve
- !, fresh each day. BY this metho
- two cents on each pound. Durin
the first seven months of the wa
= 1,612,383 cans of condensed mil
= were used, and to August 10, 1915
. 225 100000 pounds of sugar hav
= been supplied.
= 1t costs the government about 4
&c cents a day to feed soldier. TIL
officers pay obout $1.00 day 70
their meals. The difference betwee
the table Of the soldier and the off
Ger lies mostly in linen, china an
service.
Here is days ration taken q
random from Camp Grant, Illinois
Breakfast Cornfiakes with mill
coffee with sugar and milk, scram
bled eggs, fried potatoes and sauc'
Dinner-Coffee with milk and suga