New Britain herald., 1918-01-08
FACTS ABOUT THE AMERICAN NAVY
BY LIEUT. N.
Provisions.

Every day submarines are striking
farther from their base Passengers
and crews must abandon ship farther
from help; must prepare for more
time in open boats. One warm cos
tune will do for a month as we'll as
for a day. But food must be pro-
rated per person per day.
Peary said a man could go round
the world, either way, on a daily ra-
ton Of a pound of bread and a pound
of pemmican Chopped meat) BY
either way he meant across the Poles
or by the COney-Fiji Islands line.
Battleship boat rations qualify the
great explorers opinion only slightly
Scientists have demonstrated that a
mans diet may be divided into two
general classes; proteins, or nitrogen
Gus foods, such as meat, peas, chOco-
late; and carbohydrates or starchy
foods, such as bread, sugar potatoes.
This is the military hypothesis for ma
vies and armies. Statesmen can af-
ford not to be military.
Naval usage provides in terms Of
100 ratiOns, i. G, enough to last 100
men one day, or man 100 days. First
and most important is 100 lbs Of
'bread-a pound per man per day.
North and South Poles were reached
with the same allowance. Hinden-
burg and Haig Wrestled on it, Men
have survived on less; but for hard
work even meat cannot take its place.
Protein rations are subdivided for
tastes sake. Our navy allows its ship
wrecked sailors, besides their bread,
100 lbs of beef and beans per 100
rations. This exceeds Peary's pound
of meat, because beans are not con-
centrated food. Their husks and
fbres are nearly all waste. The same
often applies to navy beef. At any
rate there is safe margin.
Next item is a luxury for the first
month, a craved food for the second,
and finally a vital necessity. This is
some sort of acid, for lack Of which
men rot and die, calling their illness
scurvy The British sailor has always
counted on lime juice whence his
nickname Limey'. The American blue
jacket has tomatoes pound for pound
with his biscuit ShackletOn served
fresh meat to his intrepid com panions,
but failed to stave eff the dreaded en-
envy. Peary compelled his fur-clad
comDanv to take their daily stewed to-
matoes in the sunless winters as our
grandfathers took their vermifuge in
the spring. During the "a years he
sacrificed to conquer the Polar Sea,
not once did his party suffer from
scurvy. Our Navy is built on such
proof.
Mark Twain wrote about a casta-
way who ate his cap, and suggests
that the red lining gave the poor
wretch an appetite for his boot soles
which were much more nourishing
The same may be said of the coffee
and salt which are GROWING features
Of a Ife-boat's dietary. Though slim
u1ating they are not necessary, 9nd
their nutrition is meagre beside even
tough canned beef.
Briefly then a naval commissarY
fits out his boat expedition as fol-
lows: For each man per day there
is ID. Of hard biscuit; - lbs Of =,
beef and beans; I ID. of tomatoes
(or canned fruiD; .25 ID. coffee and
sugar Ct to . proportion); and a
sprinkle of salt and pepper. II water
must be taken 1 pint per man per |
dav is the minimum.
Contrast the Sunday dinner of a |
man who has risen at 8 a. m. taken
2 car to church and dozed through a |
tvo-hour sermon: Soup. water, cot
fee. at least a quart Fish and relish
es lb. Meat s 1b. Vegetables, pre-