What the United States government thinks of the soldier may be seen, for example, in the fact that a Civil Service employee, in the Weather Department, travelling about on duty on long trips, is allowed one dollar, and even more than a dollar per meal in his expense account; while the “brave boys” in khaki who agree to stand ready to butcher their brothers for a living are lucky if they get a thirty-cent meal at any time. In this connection the following from Mr. Taft’s Report as Secretary of War for 1907 (p. 92–93) is of interest. Under the head of “Rations” we find: “The present ration, while _liberal and suitable_, falls considerably short of the Navy ration in variety. Butter, milk and molasses, or _syrup, at least_, should be _added_ to the garrison ration. These are articles _almost_ necessary in the preparation of desserts.... They are part of the ration in Alaska and they should be everywhere.”[220] The present ration “liberal and suitable,” yet lacking butter, milk and molasses and even syrup. Such things are “_almost_ necessary!” The reckless epicureanism thus proposed by “the great secretary” in offering some _cheap syrup_ as an _addition_ to the _dessert_ gives us an illuminating suggestion as to the War Department’s estimate of the cheapness of the hungry greenhorn who can be lured into the rulers’ “service” with cheap syrup. An _ordinary_ house fly can be coaxed into a trap with syrup—good syrup. The United States soldier’s meals are estimated by the War Department to be worth six and two-thirds cents apiece, as will appear from the following passage taken from the Report of the War Department for 1907, page 85: “The pay of the private, at present, is 43 and one-third cents a day. Adding the [daily] cost of his ration as 20 cents, clothing allowance and right to quarters each at 15 cents, and his remaining privileges at, say, six and two-thirds cents, his present pay still falls 25 cents short of the average laborer throughout the United States.” This is the War Department’s estimate of the soldier’s average total daily income in cash and allowances, made by the Department in order to compare the soldier’s incentive with that of the _farm hand and general day laborer_. On page 84 of the same Report is the Government’s estimate of the average daily income of the “farm and the general laborer”: For 1902 the average for these two classes was (according to the Report) $1.20 a day; and “allowing for the increase in wages since 1902” _the government’s estimate for the “farm and general laborer” in 1907 was $1.25 per day_. This, the Report says, is $7.50 per month better than the soldier’s incentive in 1907.