FEEDING TWO MILLIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 122, 16 October 1914, Page 8

FEEDING TWO MILLIONS.

1 WHAT THE GALLOPING KITCHEN DOES. "Srnco an army imiarohek on its stomach the greatest battle of all times involves the greatest catering feat of all times," says the Evening News. "Two millions of men along the frontiers of Prance must be fed, or they cannot fight. They must be fcxl with bread and moat and vegetables, and kept supplied with water. Every German and every Frenchman among them is, bifcides, entitled daily to over an o,mice of cof- ' fee, and to a share of sugar and salt.

6,000 CATTLE A DAY. "The scale of rations in the different armies varies, >but 011 the rough military atiuuipuon that one ox feeds 400 men these hoaie will consume 5000 head of cattlo every day. They will consume something approaching four million pounds of bread, and two million gallons of water. These are the barest necessities. "Then for each liorse the allowance is twelve pounds of corn or its equivalent, and from five to ten of water. And I'ho cattle and sheep for sliughttfr must be considered, for unless they are kept in condition the yield of meat will suiier. "l'or a time:, of course, the troops will

, - - _ ps will live on Uie country- through which tliuy aie passing. IW'hen ulwt is caton tare t-aeli army will tkpt'ixl on its own basi;. 1 lien tonic tile ti*st 'of thi? coinniirjijiiriat with its el Tift on the fori'mie and duration of the war.

"The military b;<-se may he described as the heart of tile- t-mppi ies system—it radiates energy -through a network of channels to the body and limbs ot' the army in front. ; "We may see the manner in which it works by considering what would luijipmi ill the ease of a British expeditionary force being sent to the Continent. "The bane .then would be established at the port of landing. It would bo formed before the arrival 0 f troops and would be stocked \vi.tih 'several momlhs' supplies. As far as possible stores would be sent by railway. Front the rail-'liead' they would be taken on to di/pots along the line of communication* by motor lorry. Every d-ypot would gal'her ill supplies from tlio surrounding country ais long aa they lasted —cuttle, coi'-it und luiy would be purchased at the bakers' anil butchers' places set up. The transport would -be done l>r stages, at a sufficiently fast pace to keep several days' supplies immediately aceessiblu at the temporary field depot's in the area of actual lighting. "The defence of trie line of communications is, Of course, the first' consideration.

Groat Britain is not without experi «ncc in this mutter, for in many of lier campaigns tile line of eomjmmicattons has had t(i bo maintained across great wastes of country, whore no food was available. In tho .Afghan campaign in the early 'eighths, botwon Kabul and Peshawar, a distance of 100 miles, IfnOOO men were guarding (.he eonwmuiicalilns. while 12, MM) we.ro engaged in fighting "Now if tlu> German eommifisariat proves unequal to the huge strain .imposed upon it, it mav be that the Gorman war lords will have" to .leal, not only with I'ranee* and UelgiLun on the weist, and Russia on the east, )>ut Uiat a new trouble will arise mid-way between the two."