The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-27
War Department shaken by
Dispute Over Feline Values.
Storage Department Declares
They Are "Needed Necessities
THRU ARMY, NAVY JOURNAL
DisburSing Officer Feared Tend
ency Against "Cat-icide.o
Insists That Only Ten Animals
We're To Be Maintained.


essities' for the army quarterrnaster
department but that because of their
tendency to increase in numbers quite
rapidly they should be dependable"
as well, is the contention raising some
discussion among staid, and usually
severe. war department bureau chiefs
The war of words is being merrily
waged thru the columns Of the Army
and Navy Journal a staid. and usually
methodically severe, publication de-
voted exclusively to the interests, aims
and ambitions of the regular army.
The whole story has to do with the
experiences of one material inspection
and storage depot, where the officer
in charge decided last May that force
Of cats VAS necessary to prevent rats
and mice from doing damage to the
goods stored under his care. He wrote
his finance bureau for authority for
payment, under incidental expenses,
FOR acquisition and sustenance of
felines' required for the proper pre-
servation of some eight million yards
OF fabric in storage. ''jeopardiZed by
an incursion of rodents and other
small vermin.
with Little Expense.
The local situation was such that
the cats could be maintained without
great expense. 1t was asked that in
cfdentaI expenses be interpreted ito
sition and sustenance of not more than
ten necessary CATS The question also
was whether they should be held to
be dependable property in order Ito
avoid the necessity of taking up any
unforeseen increment by debit certifi
cate"
Apparently the cats were authorized,
for in October the disbursinS officer
wrote to the depot officer that the
last voucher for Cat food showed that
nine cats and twelve kittens were
being maintained. 'It was not con-
templated,' the disbursing officer
added. that more than ten necessary
cats were to be maintained; and furth-
crmOre. these cats were to be exPend-
able. The maintenance of such a
force of cats" it was &dded, was of
advantage to preserve government
property but such q radical increase
in the number of cats to be MAIN
tained at government expense makes
it fitting to inquire where this increase !
IS going to stop, and as to whether or
not attention of these cats has been
given entirely to the elimination of ro-
dents: also as to whether this increase, |
il continued, will not place an undue |
burden on the government in view of
the probable exhaustion of the supply /
Of rats. and the necessity of purchas- |
ing unlimited quantities of cat meat"
whether any further increase in the !
number of cats maintained for elm !
mating rodents is contemplated.
Didn't Forcsee Multiplication.
The captain in charge of the depot |
replied, in October: 1T was not eX-
pected that the number of cats at this |
depot would be increased beyond the
number of ten. The natural increase |
beyond this number, however, had not !
been foreseen, and could not in any |
way be regulated. 1t is fully under |
stood that cats are expendable, but it !
hoe a
upon these young animals any extreme !
acts Of cruelty.
The need of these cats is a posi-
tive necessity. The woods and fields
surrounding the depot are filled with
field mice and if one of these animals |
should nest in the cloth. it might dc !
stroy hundreds Of dollars worth or
material The presence OF the cats !
however. is found to be an absolute |
Eunranteee against any destruction
from such 4 source.
Later the disbursing officer of this
particular service wrote to the dis i
bursting officer of the salvage divi- !
sion. noting that the disbursements of
the depot in question were to be ham !
died by the latter officer after No
1ember I. THE matter of cat meat !
and other supplies necessary for sus- !
tenance of cats is referred to you for
any further action" the letter added. /
1t is believed that the providing OF
meat for cats. whose regular ration is
rats from OUTSIDE sources, SIlOulu bS J
carefully restricted. The voucher for
such supplies during the months of
September amounted to 310.50 and
was increased during the month of
october. TO $3.50. which seems ex-
cessive..' in view of the fact that but
ten cats were originally contemplated. |
Here official correspondence stops /
so TAR as we have received it, and We
ere left in suspense as to the fate OF |
the excess expendable cats not in |
cluded in the contingent of ten neces- !
sary cats's originally contemplated.
H,;,,,,o.-,,-, No., Ad,I XIxTr,s,Iiuo