South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-23
SHOW SUCCESS OF
ARMY RATIONS IN
OFFICIAL REPORT
Average Yank Gained Twelve
Pounds While in Army,
Department Shows.

WASHINGTON, May 23.-"sol-
oiers who fought against spain in
1898 lost in weight on an average Of
- pounds each: the average Amer
lean soldier at the end OF the fight
ing in 1913 weighed u pounds more
than he did when the selective serv-
ice act or his own volition brought
him into the army"
Thus the success won by the
army's subsistence branch in the
-reat war IS epitOmized in chapters
OF the official war ''materiel" his
tory made public By the war depart
ment.
The food problem Of an army OF
800. 900 Americans is visUalized in
the history by considering the force
as a single man and the entire war
period as one dinner hour. Articles
comprised IN the army ration as
sumed these trem .ldCus totals:
Roast beef. 500. 900, 900 pounds;
bacon. 100000 pounds; flour
(bread). 1000, 600, 900 POUNDS: but
ter, II. 500 900: oleomargarine, H.
0O0, goo; baked beans, 10000, 600
pounds; potatoes, 49,, 900. 900 pounds.
onions. 100000 pounds; corn,
beans and peas. $50, GOO, 900 cans: to-
rnatoes. 10000, 600 cans; prunes,
peaches and apples (for dessert).
100000 cans; sugar, $50. zoo. 900
pounds; coffee, $4,000, 600 pounds;
evaporated milk. 100000. 600 cans.
Bill Is Enormous.
The bill for this "meal' amounted
60 s727,O0O,OOO to Dec. I, 1918, the
per capita cost having risen from 4
cents in 1897 to IS in 1918
At the time of the armistice
American soldiers IN France we're
consuming 1000. 900 pounds OF food
daily. Moving this stupendous guam
tity over the 3.00O-mile line Of com
municatiOn was the principal obsta-
Gle 10 be overcome. This and neces-
sity for conserving cargo space led
directly in the later months 10 the
shipment OF dehydrate vegetables to
the American expeditiOnary force.
The problems were solved only
by the assistance Of the American
food industry" the report says, and
while instances were found Of food
specifications being violated. these
are declared 10 have been very few
and in most instances not inten-
tiOnal.
Had Emergency Ration.
The emergency ration or the
American soldier, designed TO be used
only in cases OF extremity, was per
fected during tho war TO consist Of
three cakes OF beef. prepared with
a bread-compOund of ground cooked
wheat, each cake weighing three
ounces: three 1-ounce cakes OF
chocolate; three-fourths ounce fine
salt and one IRAN black pepper.
a special ration was designed for
the use of invalid so Tiers. including
potted chicken. dried eggs, buildings,
etc.
Importance attached to the sup
ply OF fresh coffee for the men is
evidenced by the decision TO ship the
bean in the green form and have il
roasted near the front. This leo TO
the invention OF portable roasters
capable OF handling several tons a
day.
Noting that tobacco has estsb-
lished its claim 10 "A recognized
b4stte III tire SoiNASi > itASf NilS Aehott
says probably 50 percent Of the
American expeditionary force used
the weed in one form or another.
Monthly shipments averaged 10000
600 cigars and 425. 900. 900 cigarettes
The soldiers sweet tooth was sat
iSfed by monthly shipment Of 500
600 pounds of candy during the early
part OF the war. but this inCrea sed.
in November. 1918. 10 1873 800
pounds, and in the following month
the war department made candy a
part OF the regulation issue. Il