The Glenwood post., 1918-04-13
| @IN7 eY
EAR1huR GUY EhpfY|

|
commenced my envy died. and real
lied that the first requisite of a nom
commissioned officer on active service
Is diplomacy. There were 10 men in
our section. and they soon formed
semicircle around us after the corporal
had called out. "Rations up"
! The quartcrmaster sergeant had
given a slip to the corporal on which
was written Il list of the rations. Sit
ting on the floor, using wooden box
as table, the issue commenced On
/ the left Of the corporal the rat1ons
were piled They consisted of the fol-
| lowing:
/ Six iOayes "f fresh bread, each lonf
of diffur Def size, perhaps one out of
/ the six bDJu- as tIut as Il pancake, the
result OF $3.50 army service corps man
] placing u rv nT bully beef on it dur
ing transportation.
Three tins Of jam, one apple and the
other two plum.
| Seventeen bermuda onions, all diff
! ferent size.
A piece of cheese in the shape Of
wedge.
Two onp-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 q stew for next days dinner. He
also received the tea, sugar, salt, pep
per and -four.
Scratching his head, the corporal
studied the slip issued to him by the
quarter. Then in a slow, mystified
voice he read out, mo. 1 section. 10
men. Bread, loaves, six" He looked
puzzled and soliloquized in q musing
voice:
"Six loAves, nineteen men. Let's see,
that's three In a loaf for fifteen men
well, to make 1t 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 n fur corner Of
the billet, three indignant Tommles ac-
costed the corporal with:
"What do you call this, loaf Of
bread? Looks more like sniping
plate"
The corporal answered:
"Well, don't blame me, didn't bake
1t; somebody's got to get it, so shut
up until I dish out these blinkln' ra-
tions"
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 n
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
I said they make your breath smell, SO
I guessed I would do without one too.
"Cheese, pounds, two"
The corporal borrowed a jackknife
(corporals are always borrowing), and
sliced the cheese-each sliclng bring
| ing forth pert remark from the on
lockers as to the corporal's eyesight.
"Raisins, ounces, eight"
By this time the corporals nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins were to be turned over
to the cook for "duff'' (plum pudding).
This decision eliclted a 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-
I body responded to this 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 a steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only IS names, as the winner 10 elimi-
mated until every man in the section
has won a 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 a letter
home, asking them If they cannot get
some M. P. (member Of parllament) to
have him transferred to the Royal Fly
ing corps where he won't have to issue
rations.
At the different French estaminets
in the village and at the canteens Tom
my buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and
pastry. Occasionally when he Is flush,