The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-08-21
Electric Servants
Transform KIP Duty
AT State Air Base

Verify. verify, Up. duty in
Uncle Sans new army amt what
1t used to be-" declares the Jack
son Miss Daily News in an edi-
toriai describing the sire. .l-iiaed,
ultra modern kitchen equipment
at the new us Army Air Base
there.
The Daily News concludes its
description of the marvels per-
formed by the army's electrical
servants by pointing 70 their
speed, efficiency and cleanliness
over old methods.
The editorial reads, in part, as
follows:
StreamIined Army Kitchens
This is a mechanical army I'm
Gle Sam is raising for the purpose
of stopping Hitler. and its mech
anization does not end with fight
ing equipment. 1t has been car
ried even into the kitchens.
"Out at the training field in the
northwestern suburbs of Jackson
soon to be occupied by an army
bombing squadron nothing is be-
ing spared in the way of equip
ment to turn out bigger and bet
ter meals in faster time than ever
before in military history.
"The mechanization of army
kitchens has reduced from be-
tween a half to two-thirds the
number OF soldiers formerly as
signed to X. p, or kitchen police
duty.
eat the new air field will be
found the very latest of every
type of streamlined baking and
cooking equipment. Officers de-
clare the kitchens for the mess
halls are the finest in the coun-
try, because they are among the
latest to be fully equipped.
"Gone are the days when sol
diers spent hours and days on X.
p. duty peeling potatoes. This
work is now done by an automatic
participating machine.
Just pour half bushel OF po-
tatoes each into the four ma
chimes in the field kitchens, push
4 button to start the electric mo-
tors, then in two minutes open
the chutes on the sides and out
pop two bushels of carefully peel
ed potatoes.
"The only trouble with the ma
chimes, one mess sergeant said, is
that if the soldier in charge should
forget to take the potatoes out in
time the machine just keeps peel
ing until there is nothing left.
This means mashed spuds at the
next meal.
"Also on the way out of the
army are the cans ilr making
SOUP. Steam kettles are taking
their place.
"Big electric coasters now turn
out Drowned slices of toast n
Who'll sale quantities. New deep fat
fryers handle doughnuts, chicken
ana pork chops.
1.-THE electric dishwasher takes
in messy and greasy dishes and
passes them out scrubbed and pol
ished, even dried. Eating utensils
are washed similarly.
THE mess halls are operated
cafeteria style, each man serving
himself. The soldiers use a large
stainless-steel trap with six divi-
sions ON it for meat, vegetables,
and the like.
"Dishwashing machines have
all the trays and utensils washed
and dried within fifteen minutes
after mess hour.
''The onion peeling chore is the
only one which has not been me-
chanized. 'KP's' still must peel
them by hand and cry as they
work.
In the preparation of food the
cooks use electrically operated
saws for cutting shoulder meat
into chops; meat slicers for bacon,
luncheon meat and cheese; food
cutters to make vegetables into
neat cubes for stew; meat chop
pers to grind beef for meat loafs
and hamburger: electric egg
beaters and mixers; automatic
bread slicers and various other
gadgets.
Another important factor in
the use of machines in camp kit
chens is that they make for great
err cleanliness and sanitary condi-
lions. BY reducing the need for
preparing food by hand to a min
iml m, the health safeguards in
military camps are therefore re-
duced to the minimum.
"As for the food served these
days, that has changed drastical-
ly, too. The old army diet con-
sisting OF beans three times a day
has completely disappeared. In
their place are dietetically perfect
menus with fresh fruit and yege-
tables--and spinach. too"
Electricity to operate the armys
streamlined kitchen equipment at
the Jackson air base is furnished
by Mississippi Pc er & Light
Company which also furnishes
electricity and natural gas to the
nearby housing project consisting