FEEDING THE FRENCH ARMY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2285, 20 October 1914, Page 6

FEEDING THE FRENCH ARMY

AN EXCELLENT COMMISSARIAT. The following information concern-, ing tho victualling of the French Army was publisned in Paris on August 2G. Every man carries on him ono day's reserve rations, which may only be used in case of extreme, urgency. They consist of 300 grammes (10}oz.) of war biscuit, 300 grammes of preserved meat, 50 grammes of condensed soup,' 36 grammes of coffee, and 80 gramme 3 of. sugar. There is also a litre of brandy- for every 16 men. The food served out daily consists of 700 grammes of bread 100 grammes of rico or haricot beans, 24 grammes of coffee, 32 grammes of sugar, bacon, salt, and 500 grammes of fresh meat or 300 grammes of preserved meat, with 50 grammes of puree do legumes to make soup. Beyend this, whenever possible, provisions are bought on the spot by'the officers in command, such as vegetables, various seasonings, and sometimes.wine. Revictualliiifj is carried out as far as possible by Tail. The difficulty is that tho regiments aro continually ohanging their quarters, and thus the commissariat has difficulty in finding them. To simplify matters each day a special station is dhosenfor each Array Corps. The regimental transport goes evory day to this station, and receives two days' provisions, so that thero is always abundance of reserves. ■

If the railway is not available sup-, plica are provided by motor transport. If motor transport fails in a. day or two tho corps d'armee draws on its stocks of provisions, which are good for four days. The organisation is based'on a system of enormous dopote at important railway centres. ' At each of- them hundreds of thousands of rations of bread are baked every day, and , supplies of all kinds are accumulated. These depots aro not fully stocked beforehand. In timos of .peace they con-, tain several days' provisions* and after mobilisation they receive daily supplies of every kind, brought in in accordance with a carefully-prepared plan. Herds of cattle are driven some distance] ia. the rear of each Army Corps, and rested before slaughtering. The daily consumption of eacli Army Corps is 120 head of cattle, and the meat is carried to tho front by Paris motoromnibuses. Since tho beginning of the ci mpaign tho commissariat department has worked without a hitch. The Gormans appear to have made considerable uso of machine guns mounted on motor-cars, and somo surpriso is expressed that the French Army appears insufficiently provided with thorn. The "Figaro" points out to-day that years ago armoured automobiles carrying mitrailleuses were exhibited at tho Motor Salon and attracted much attention. Unfortunately the military authorities subjected them to tests that woro scarcely roasonable. They were called upon to climb steep banks and to cross ploughed fields, with disastrous results. It. suggests that the French Army could be provided with this motor artillery in a very few days if recourse were- had to -tho country's great manufacturing resources. Tho blowing of guards' whistles at wrong times at Baslo railway station caused somo disorganisation and danger, and a police- watcli was sot. It was found that tho culprit wae a blackbird, which had learned to imitate tho guards' whistle, and it' has beau shot,.