TROUBLE ON CANADIAN TRANSPORT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2549, 25 August 1915, Page 11

TROUBLE ON CANADIAN TRANSPORT

DEMAND FOE BETTER FOOD,

The Cunard steamship Saxonia, now used as a transport for tioops from Canada, arriral in London on June 8 (says t'he "§un") with two brigades of mlantry, and tho .tale of an uprising of the men at sea over the quality of the food supplied to .them. ■ There were 2400 men aboard the ship when she sailed from Quebec, according to a correspondent, who was aboard. Because of the limited mess accommodations they were-divided into relays of 800, and fed in three shifts. On tlio third morning after leaving Halifax the first relay went to breakfast, and found tiiey were to receive the same faro they had been getting, which was unpalatable, badly cooked, and not nourishing. Without any pre-arranged plan, the men began to howl and bang on the tables with their knives. Officers were summoned,. but tho men refused to quiet down or to leave the dining saloon for tho other men. Finally the commanding officer arrived, and to him tlio spokesman of tho mutineers said "We enlisted to fight for our Empire. Every man hero-is willing to die,and none of us lias a definite liopo of seeing his home again. 13nt wo will not bo poisoned, and we will not be starved. This food is not fit for a dog to eat. Until wo aro assured that wo shall havo proper food wo will hold this rcorii." Tlio men inside and outside shouted approval of this speech. There was a very brief parley, and then tho commanding officer gave his word that it would be better the next meal, and ho kept his word. There was no further complaint during tho voyage.