The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-10-15
BY JAMES THRAsHER
NEA staff COrrasn0ndnnk

Some people have been saying
recently that the eye Of the Army's
procurement division Is bigger than
the Army's stomach, and that In
consequence civilians are being de-
prived unnecessarily Of certain food
stuffs, Specifically, they have cited
what seemed to them a dispropor-
tionate supply Of such things as
apple butter, jam, catsup and tlir.
keys in the hand Of the military.
To get the Armys side Of the story,
these accusations were presented to
Col. Louis Webster, who is in charge
of procurement Of nonperishable
foods for the Quartermaster Corps.
"No," he said, 1T isn't true that
we have SO much apple butter left
over from last year that we aren't
ordering any this year. But It's al
most true, and I'll tell you why.
The pack Of apple butter in 1912
was set aside 100 per cent for the
Army. How much we got depended
on how much tin was available to
can 1t.
"Well, there was a big apple crop,
and WPB gave the boys q lot Of
tin. They made apple butter till
hell wouldn't have tall the reg
ular packers and subcontractors we
had never heard Of. It was more
than we expected and more than we
needed, but we had to take 1t all.
"But that was a break for the
taxpayer, because there won't be as
much tin or as many apples this
year, and apple butter will cost
more"
Next came the report that the
report that the Army had bought
enough tomato catsup to give every
soldier seven bottles q year.
CATSUP LOVERS
Sure said Colonel Webster, I'VE
use lot Of catsup. Most Of 1t isn't
used the way you use 1t on your
table, but in cooking - for beans,
meat sauces and lot Of other
things. The soldiers like 1t, and it's
good food. You know, you can plan
g correct diet for soldier, you can
lead him into a mess hall, but you
Just can't do anything with taste.
Soldiers in general simply like some
foods better than they do others.
They happen to like catsup"
Then there was the charge that
the Army had bought half again as
much jam for Its soldiers a. would
remain for the approximately 1874
900 900 civilians.
Eyes, and we Just bousht $4,000
pounds more" the Colonel replied
with q grin. II wonder what they're
going to say about that?"
About those turkeys. You may re-
call that the Army, OPA and the
War Food Administration let 1t be
known that there would be no tur-
key for civilians until the Army had
bought up enough to provide white
meat and drumsticks for holiday
dinners for overseas men.
One Washington columist got ex-
cited when he discovered that one
pound OF undressed turkey to man
averaged out to a very generous
helping, and that here was the
Army wanting 100000 pounds OF
turkey to feed 2,000,0 900 men In the
overseas forces on Thanksgiving and
Christmas.
HOLIDAY GOBBLERS
Well, that was all right, except
that the Army earmarked 10, not
~, million pounds Of gobblers, and
the term holiday dinners" included
New Years as we'll as Thanksgiving
and Christmas. That leaves 1000, 900
pounds still unaccounted for. Any
they're needed, the Colonel said, as
safeguard against spoilage and any
emergency demands. He didn't spec
lily whether second helpings came
under the heading Of emergencies.
Colonel Webster explained that
Army dietitians have the flrst-ano
presumably the last--word In the
military food program. They pre-
pare a series Of master menus, and
when these announcements on what
and how much a soldier Is To eat are
multiplied by the number Of men,
you have the Army supply program.
This Is presented to Congress and,
once approved, becomes the ceiling
for food requirements. The program
Is then broken down into quarters,
and the War Food Administration
makes ALLEGATIONS for each period.
Only then are procurement direc-
tives issued to Army buyers.
Colonel Webster produced tables
to show that, although the Army
has increased from as to ~ mil
lion men in the past year the In
crease In l943 purchases Of nom
perishables Is Of much smaller pro-
portion on almost every items. This
Is because of the holdover from last
years bumper crops.
Another break for John Tax
payer" said the Colonel.