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KEEPING THE SOLDIER FIT 809
•A FULL STOMACH MAKES A CHEERFUL FIGHTER"
Usually, however, the army diet does not satisfy.
mous. The populace craves sweets as
ardently as a black bear does honey. If
a girl won't single out a soldier as a
recipient of letters, at least
she can single him out as a
mark for a bom! rdment of
sweetmeats.
A man who knows he is
well regarded by some one
back home
•—h e has
proof of it
in the form
of letters ;
who is well
fed; his
sweet tooth
satisfied —
will go into
battle with a
greater determination.
A man who
is isolated
and melancholy
may
be so sick of
life that he
will welcome the chances of death. For
all that his fighting will by no means
equal that of the man who has really
something to live for.
The best and bravest of
JJM troops are subject to panic
at times. Of disheartened
troops nothing can be expected
As an instance:
In Cuba,
in 1898, a
regiment of
o u r volunteers,
worn
out and discouraged
by
heat, a diet
of canned
beans, and
inferior
beef, were
seized with
panic and
bewilderm
en t. and
stood ex­
The Opportunities for Recreation Are Few
The nirl back home can supplement this rough sport with more refined
amusements.
posed to the
enemy's fire.