FOOD AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 4, 29 September 1917, Page 8

FOOD AT THE FRONT

9 —, IS THERE ENOUGH BREAD? Reference was made in the House of Representatives yesterday to tlie rations of our soldiers at the front. Mr. G. Witty (Riccaiion) spoke of;the food served to our soldiers in England and in France. The rations, he said, were barely sufficient, and were especially short in bread. The men were not allowed to buy bread. If they did, they were liable to be court-martialled. This seemed hardly fair, seeing that"they wero allowed to buy other commodities. Ho asked the Defence Minister whether anything could bo done. Sir James Allen: [ can't understand why there are members of this House who are always wanting to create trouble among the people of this country. From a single letter, I suppose, this accusation is made Mr. Witty: Wrong again; I have three. Sir James Allen: "Well, from three, letters. I have- had dozens of letters .from men at tho front, and from men who have visited tho front. I have had the evidence of tho Prime Minister here who visited the men at the front 1 , I venture to say that, although there may bo occasions, when the lines of communication are difficult to maintain, when the , men are a little short, the organisation of the Army Service Corps is such that the soldier in the front trenches is better served than the soldier in any J other array in the world's history." Ho , went on to say that the remarks wero | an aspersion on tho Y.M.C.A., who had , depots right up at tho front. Tho accusation as against tho British organisa- \ lion and the Y.M.C.A. was a. silly one. • He ventured to say that there was no ] honest 'soldier at tho front who would , say that he had any reasonable ground ] for complaint at all. On the contrary, , ho had no complaints. The soldiers wero all satisfied with what was being-done for them. Mr. Witty said that he would produce . the letters, and they wero from men : of just, as good standing as the Minister, j