FEEDING THE ARMIES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11502, 17 February 1916, Page 2

FEEDING THE ARMIES.

The modern system of feeding the srmies in the field has come into ■operation since the South African War, and only dates from 1909, when motor transport was first sub- . stiluted for horse transport in the British Army. The old, heavy, four-wheeled, springless transport 'wagon, drawn by four to six horses, and carrying np to 30cwt. of supplies, was then .replaced by the standard army pattern cf motor lorry with engines of 40 h p. capable of carrying three tons at a speed of 16 miles per hour. The change has enabled the number of transport waggons required fir each regimental unit to- be halved, and the distance of the advance lines of the army from its depots to be doubled. A/snpply column of motor transport waggons, covering 50 or more miles per day, now takes the place of the old horse vehicles, with their limited radius, of one third or one half this distance. As an incidental result of this change from horse to motor transport, the number of men/engaged on supply ser-, vices behind the fighting, line has been grealy reduced, and whereas ; 100 years ago' the followers /of an army in the field 'often exceeded in number those actually engaged ip the fighting, to-day the proportion has been reduced to one to five, it being reckoned that for every 100 men in the firing line there must be 20 men enagged in the supply services at the rear. These gains, however, are chiefly gains which ' affect the higher commands, and the beneficial/results of the change from the “Tommies’ ” own point of view are that fresh meat, fresh bread, and fresh vegetables have replaced the “bully beef” and hard f biscuit rations of bygone days.