UNCLE SAM'S SOLDIERS BEST FED in the WORLD

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1164, 3 November 1917, Page 12 (Supplement)

UNCLE SAM'S SOLDIERS BEST FED in the WORLD

UXCLE SAM is said to be a "good provider" for his soldiers, for no one more than he realizes that It takes good food and " plenty of it to make good fighters. In fact, the American soldier is said

to be about the best-fed fighter in the world. One day's rations of the American 6oldier includes 18 ounces of bread and half an ounce of butter to spread it with; or, if he prefers, he can supplement this with 1.2S ounces of jam. After the bread, he can make the backbone of his three meals out of 20 ounces of potatoes, 12 of bacon and 24 of beans. He is entitled to use .04 ounce of lard in cooking these—or getting them cooked —and when he comes to putting them down he has .G! ounce of salt, .04 ounce of pepper and .16 gill of vinegar to smooth the way for them. Finally, If he wants to wash them down with anything besides water, he can use for that purpose 1.12 ounces of coffee, with 3 2 ounces of sugar and 5 ounces o? evaporated milk to improve Uhe

flavor. If he is still unsatisfied after all this, however, he would have to prey upon a sick comrade or go. to bed hungry, for acording to Uncle Sam he would have had all he needed to eat. On a basis of total calories, the United States regular is almost the best fed soldier in the world; for with 43 99 calories per day, according to a writer in the Scientific American, he ranks second only to the Russian private, who gets 4929 calories. If fighting ability is in direct ratio with food consumed, the moujik should be a worthy foe for anybody and in fact he is—it is bad equipment and bad officering that have kept him from playing a more decisive role in the war. French, British and German rations are almost on a par; the poilu

gets 3340 calories, Tommy Atkins 1,000,000 men would be 4,000,000 3292, the German 3147 and the Aus- pounds a day, 120,000,000 pounds a trian 2620 each. month and 156,000,000 pounds every It is estimated that the food re- 39 days—the weight of the entire quired for an American army of army.