The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-11
Sat:cnS.

Rat:ons.
Just doing off: III. Lance Corporal
butted in.
In Tommy'S eyes q lance corporal is
one degree below Il private. In the
corporals eyes he is one degree above
general.
He ordered me to 20 with him and
help him draw the next days rations.
also told me TO take my waterproof.
Every evening. from each platoon or
machine-gun section. q lance corporal
and private go to the quartermaSter
sergeant at the company stores ana
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 fermer always wins out. Tommy
says the quarter got his job because
he was burglar III civil life.
Then l spread the Waterproof sheet
on the ground. while the quartermaS-
ter's batman dumped the ratiOns on it.
The corporal was smoking a flag. l
carried the rations back to the billet.
The corporal was still smoking a flag.
How I envied him. But when the issue
commenced my envy died and / real
lied that the first requisite of non
commissioned officer on active service
is diplomacy. There were 10 men in
our section. and they soon formed 4
eemicircle around Us after the corporal
had called out. "Euti1ns up"
The quartermaSter sergeant had
given a slip To the corporal on which
was written 4 list Of the rationS. Sit
ting on the floor. using Il 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 us Il pancake, the
result of an army service corps mar
placing box Of billy beef on it dur
ing transportation.
Three tins of jam, one apple and lie
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all diff
ferent sizes.
A piece of cheese in the shape of
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'' Ga can filed 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 -four.
Scratching his hgad. the c0rrpporal
studied the slip issued to him by the
quarter. Then in slow, mystified
voice he read out, NO. section, ~
men. Bread, loaves, six" He looked
puzzled and soliloquized in a musing
voice:
"Six Ioaves, nineteen men. Let's see,
that's three in 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 a far corner of
~ ind nj rTn,DD1ipS O.
costed the corporal with:
"What do you call this, loaf of
bread? Looks more like a sniping
plate"
The corporal answered:
swell, don't blame me, I didn't bake
1t; somebody's got to get it, so shut
up until dish out these blinkin' ra-
TONS"
Then the corporal started on the
jam.
Jam, 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 Il
while differences We're adjusted and
the issue went on.
Bermuda onions. seventeen"
The corporal avoided row by say
ing that he did not want an onion. and
] said they make your breath smell. so
! I guessed I would do without one too
The corporal looked his gratitude.
"Cheese, pounds, two"
The corporal borrowed a jackknife
(corporals are always borrowing), and
sliced the cheese-each slicing bring
ing forth a pert remark from the on
lockers as to the corporafs eyeSight.
"Raisins, ounces, eight"
BY this time the corporars nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins were TO be turned over
to the cook for 'dufr'' Opium pudding).
This decision elected little ''grouS-
ing" but quiet was finally restored.
biscuits, tins, one"
With his borrowed jackknife, the
corporal opened the tin of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselves-no-
body responded 10 TINS invitation.
Tommy is "fed up" with biscuits.
Butter, tins. two"
"Nine in one. ten in the other"
Another rumpus.
"Pickles, mustard. bottles. one"
Nineteen names were put in Il steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there We're
only IS names. as the winner is elimi-
mated until every man in the section
has won q bottle.
The rattle is closely watched, because
Tommy is suspicious when it comes to
gambling with his rations.
When the issue is finished the cor
poral sits down and writes Il letter
home, asking them if they cannot get
some M. P. (member of parliamenD to
L. 80. II 49,, 4 Nv