Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-03
LowIy Weed
May Provide
Troops Food
Would Cut Equipment
a Allow for Speed
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON

CHENGIS KHAN came howl
~ ing out of Mongolia at the
head of hordes of horsemen to
subdue much of Asia and Eu-
rope from the China Sea to the
Danube.
He used almost nothing but
cavalry. He fed his shaggy
mounts largely off the country
by grazing. The principal diet of
his savage troops was mares
milk and butter made from il.
This was the most marvellous
conquest in the history of war
fare for these and several other
reasons. But these were highly
important.
They meant that his advance
was delayed by no cumbersome
supply trains. Different columns
of his armies appeared as if by
magic before astonished enemies
sometime after single marches
of so to Is miles. 1t was the
first and one of the greatest of
blitZkriegs in human history.
A VERY similar thing hap
"A pened in the Moslem erup-
tions out of Arabia. The gaunt
horsemen of the descendants of
Mahomet came out of the
deserts in clouds of galloping
cavalry, ululating Allah il
Allah"
They were inspired by an I'M
reasoning bloody faith. They
continued to conquer until there
was little left which they
wanted.
Here too, their diet was light
largely dried fruit and trusses
of forage which they carried on
their mounts or on pack animals.
At first, at any rate, they too
were not encountered with bag
gage and what they had was
packed on horses and camels.
1t is hard to over-estimate this
kind of military advantage. It
doubles speed. 1t frees for COM
blatant work great masses of
men who otherwise would be
tied down TO the service of
supply.
These examples are given to
illustrate a point too often over
looked today. Our soldiers fight
ing from 5000 TO 1000 miles
from base are the best fed,
clothed and equipped troops in
the world.
This is as il should be from
the point of view of our great re-
sources, but il absorbs vast
quantities Of shipping-of which
we do not have one-third of our
requirements for distant over
seas campaigns in force.
THE Japs, on the other hand.
l. have never been accustomed
to such comforts of field service.
Their scant diet is based on fish.
rice and various modern syn
thetic or highly condensed foods.
Their supply trains are only a
fraction of the weight of ours.
This not only frees more men,
bers of a division for fighting,
but il enables individual soldiers
to carry into battle more OF
their ammunition which is of
smaller caliber than ours and
hence lighter, or it leaves each
man less weighted with equip
ment for jungle and mountain
fighting.
Add TO this the shorter dis
lance to their emergency or
permanent bases, plus their COM
mand OF the air, and you have
the answer 10 seemingly
puzzling question that is fire.
quently asked and seldom an
Swered.
"How can this impoverished
nation OF so few natural re-
oOAhtO8 ttS mdIS ONtE
such wide areas with such OBJ
vious economy Of cost and ship
ping?"
A LII this leads up to the re-
"A markable possibilities open
to science in our various nutri-
ton councils. I have talked TO
men who are specializing in this
fascinating field and a more
hopeful and enthusiastic outlook,
/ have yet TO find. i remember
long ago hearing:
"A weed Is plant the eco
nOmic value of which has not yet
been discovered"
Well, their job is TO find these
economic values and they are
doing that for America. England,
unoccupied France and Canada.
Final reports have not yet
been rendered to these govern
ments. but the claim is made
that the scant available food
supply of unoccupied France, for
example, can be doubled. / cam
not yet vouch for any of these
statements except by hearsay.
ptt &c Ialf sc xsyLa ;g nlo ,,,,nI