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Show FEEDING THE NATION'S ARMY TASK OF GIGANTIC PROPORTIONS Each Morning 4,000 Cattle Must Be Slaughtered to Supply Daily Ration of Fresh Beef 7,C0O Cars Required to Transport Month's Supply Every Ounce Must Be Inspected Before It Is Sent to the Men. Washington. It is the function of the subsistence division of the quartermaster quarter-master corps to feed the United Slates armv, furnishing three square meals dallv to every one of the nearly 2,000,-000 2,000,-000 'men, whether in France, in training train-ing camps in this country, in the Philippines, Philip-pines, Hawaii or the Panama Canal Zone. Despite the enormous expansion of the American army during the past year, nothing lias developed to mar the American soldier's reputation of being the best-fed soUiier In the world. Maj. Gen. George W. Goethals, acting act-ing quartermaster general, as head of the quartermaster corps, is responsible for the feeding of the army. The immediate im-mediate responsibility, as stated above, rests with the subsistence division, which is presided over by Col. W. It. Grove. The food supply of the army takes on proportions so gigantic that figures fall to give more than a hazy idea of its immensity. For example, 4,000 cattle must be slaughtered every morning morn-ing to give the soldier his daily ration of fresh beef. Nearly 7,000 freight and refrigerator cars are required to bring the food for the present month's supply into the camps and cantonments on this side of the Atlantic. The soldier's food must be all right at all times and must be there at the appointed hour. The American fighting fight-ing man in France may wait a week or a month for a new hat or any cHier article ar-ticle of equipment if he can make the old one serve, but he cannot wait a day or an unnecessary hour for his dinner if he is to be the gingery, up-and-at-'em, 100 per cent efficient soldier. sol-dier. Problem Long Ago Worked Out. The provision of food in such quantities quan-tities and with such promptness is not a feat that can be accomplished by sudden sud-den inspiration. It could be only the result of much thought and study. The army authorities gave the subsistence problem the requisite amount of thought and study long before the darker war clouds began to gather on the American horizon. At no time has there been serious criticism of the subsistence end of the quartermaster's department. Under Colonel Grove, or associated with him In the co-ordinated efforts of other branches of the quartermaster corps, are many well-known officers, some of them veterans of the army and some fresh from civil life, but all experts ex-perts in commissary service. Back In 1898, when distinguished gentlemen on the floor of congress were apprehending that the American soldier was being pampered with a diet too elaborate, the ration for the army consisted of one and a quarter pounds of beef, eighteen ounces of bread and flour, two-thirds of an ounce of salt and one-third of a gill of vinegar. vine-gar. That was all, but It enabled the American soldier to dine far more extensively ex-tensively than did any of his foreign brothers In arms. Today the ration Includes In-cludes 17 food articles, each capable of extensive variation by substitution. The soldier eats them In Gargantuan quantities. Here are some of the things which Colonel Grove and his organization organiza-tion must provide eacn day In the year: Beef, lbs 2,000,000 Bacon, lbs C85.000 Corned beef hash, 2-lb tins 36,400 Canned salmon, cans 41,600 Flour, lbs 2,925,000 Hard bread, lbs 8fi6.Gi;r, Beans, lbs 195,00 Corn meal, lbs 44,000 Potatoes, lbs 2,000, 000 Onions, lbs 050,000 Tomatoes, cans 163,000 Coffee, lbs '. W'Md Pickles. Kallons 7.SO0 Sugar, lbs 520.000 Salt, lbs 104.000 Soup, cans 28,0110 Catsup, bottles 23,000 Many Subdivisions. In the Washington ollices of the subsistence sub-sistence division-ttiere are some sixty officers and civilian experts, with the necessary clerical assistants. Under its chief the division is divided in(o operating op-erating subdivisions, dealing with sub sistence for the forces in the United States, subsistence for the forces oversea, over-sea, l'ood inspection, purchase, planning, plan-ning, field bakeries and the like. P.ranches of these subdivisions specialize spe-cialize in beef, in milk, in flour, In canned goods and other required foods. The proportions of single purchases are almost staggering. The other day the division was casting about for a little matter of 57,000,000 cans of soup to supply the army for a stated period. And so it goes down through some 250 items of supply running from ham to shoe strings and from metal polish to macaroni. Formerly the work of the food purchase pur-chase was distributed. Depot quartermasters quarter-masters in varlowj sections of the country bought supplies in conformity with the tone of their localized market area. Soon, however, it became clear that this function must be centralized in Washington under the control of the divisional experts. As it result the division di-vision operates along lines of high efficiency. ef-ficiency. Its system of records shows constantly the state of supplies at home and abroad, enabling it to follow any commodity from the point of production pro-duction to the port of embarkation, while the volume of purchase permits direct relation with the manufacturer and the elimination of the middleman. By the application of this central control con-trol principle there was saved to the government in the purchase of ration items needed for the month of April $161,700.50. This centralized control is also a factor in expeditious action. Not long ago there came from General Pershing a requisition for 24,000,000 rations to he supplied "at once." By the terms "ration," It should be explained, Is meant the complete food supply of one soldier for one day. Within twenty-four hours the division had located points of production capable of supplying sup-plying this large demand, had placed the orders and was able to report the fulfillment of the requisition under way. System of Purchasing. While the buying Is thus controlled, the actual purchases are not made In Washington. The purchase depots at various points telegraph to the divisional divi-sional officers price quotations on supplies, sup-plies, with recommendatrons as to their acceptance. The division's experts study them in connection with their market reports and confidential lists of prices from the big food Industries. Then from the divisional offices goes the telegraphed word to the depots to purchase or decline. From the depots the food goes to the various camps and cantonments, where It Is Issued to the fighting organizations organ-izations by the quartermaster In charge. Each compnny, battery or troop, each separate detachment, operates oper-ates its own kitchen with Its enlisted cooks working under a mess sergeant. Here the food Is prepared for breakfast, break-fast, dinner and supper. The wholesomeness of every food article must be assured before It can be placed In the soldier's possession. The army's system of inspection 's thorough and uncompromising. It begins be-gins at the source of supply and continues con-tinues until the food Is actually consumed. con-sumed. The records at Washington show the capabilities, character and standard of every establishment purveying pur-veying food to the army. The Inspectors Inspec-tors know fruits, vegetables, meat and other articles of purchase. The army specifications are clear and exact. They must be met. The Inspectors make sure they are met. And the receiving officers at the depots, assuring themselves them-selves Unit there has been no deterioration deterio-ration in shipment, thus make their contribution to that continual Inspection Inspec-tion which ceases only when the food has ceased to exist. The bureau of markets of the department de-partment of agriculture, with representatives repre-sentatives throughout the country whose duty It Is to report on conditions condi-tions in the perishable food markets, gives full help to the army Inspection. The bureau of chemistry of the same I department also lends its powerful assistance, as-sistance, carefully examining and ana lyzing all the foods which come into question. Samples are frequently drawn from shipments, the analysis made and the result placed on file with the inspection branch's central office. Any discrepancy betweeu the original sample and delivery brings prompt action. ac-tion. Military Bakery Companies. The fresh bread of the army comes from the military bakery companies, those unique institutions which, with their portable ovens, trundle along, one with each division, turning out crisp, fresh bread by the thousands of loaves, regardless of location, weather conditions, condi-tions, or even German shell fire. Prior to the war the strength of a bakery company was one officer and Gl enlisted men. On account of the increase in the size of a division in our army it was necessary to draft new regulations increasing the strength of the bakery company to two officers and 101 enlisted men and increasing the equipment from 12 units to 15 units, or 15 ovens. On July 16 the bakery branch secured authority to proceed with the organization of these new bakery companies. com-panies. On August 20, 30 of the new bakery companies had been orgnnized, equipped and trained, and were on hand to produce bread for the National army and the National guard. A Sample Day's Rations. Never at any time while the. drafted men were assembling and of course they reached their camps at all hours of the day and night were the kitchens kitch-ens unprepared or unready to serve a hot meal. Not since America started to go to war has the commissariat of the army broken down. The soldier, with his issue ration varied and augmented aug-mented through use of the cash saving which the government allows him when he does not draw the full value of his allotted food, lives as well as or better than the average civilian. Here Is the sample day's menu not a special day's menu, but representative representa-tive of such meals as are regularly provided pro-vided : Breakfast Oatmeal and milk, fried liver and bacon, onions and gravy, fried potatoes, coffee, bread. Dinner Vegetable soup, roast beef and gravy, mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, peach cobbler, bread. Supper Beef, baked potatoes, rice pudding, tea, bread. |