FEEDING THE FRENCH ARMY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2831, 24 July 1916, Page 6

FEEDING THE FRENCH ARMY

•' A MINIMUM OF WASTE. . (Mr. WArner Allen, British. Correspondent on the French Front.) The principle on which the entiro French organisation is based is that of assuring a minimum of waste. This principle is particularly well illustrated by the system of moat supply. As a general rule- it may be said that tho Army is provided with fresh meat, and frozen meat is only used to make up for a, shortage, 1 which in the circumstanccs is inevitable. On tho day when I visited 'one of the most important; meat depots behind \the Champagne line 30,000 fresh meat rations had just been served out, and a deficit of 10,000 rations had been made up by the frozen meat brought from abroad. The system is as elastic as possible, thanks to the Paris motor omnibuses, which arc used to convey to each deppt just that amount of frozen meat that will make up the deficit of fresh meat. Everything is done to prevent unnecessary carrying to and fro, as motor 'buses are a severe strain on tho roads. The military slaughter-houses, to which the cattle are driven, arc extremely clean and well equipped, and the commissariat officers take the greatest pride in the fact that no part of the beasts killed is wasted. One of them* remarked rather sadly that this statement was not absolutely correct, although they hoped it would soon be so. They possessed r.n apparatus for heating the blood aad conVerting it into manure, but unhappily so far they -had not been ablo to find a buyer. However, they hoped that the farmers of tho interior .would soon take off their hands the only by-product of which they had been unable to dispose. Poilus and Tripe. <

The I'Yeiich soldier is particularly fond of tripe, which makes a welcome change in his rations, and the Army butchers now provide him with appetising dishes of that succulent delicacy. The troops arc also supplied' with liome-mado Sausages, which were being "smoked" in savoury a fire of wood shavings and onion peel, the latter intended to give a special flavour. Tho hides of the slaughtered beasts are salted dispatched, according to their size, to various tanneries in the interior. The horns are also sold and represent a considerable economy to tho State. The poilus are all agreed that thoir food is both varied 'and excellent, and that its system of distribution is as perfect as possible. Not the least of its advantages are the care and skill with which every description of waste is obviated. No pains are spared to ensuro the State getting the fullest valuo for its money, and continually ever since the beginning of trench warfare the general organisation has been improved and developed until it has Teached a pitch of perfection hitherto unknown.