The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-04

England on the occasion of the Royal
visit to the American Eagle Hut a
few days ago, sampled the American
pancakes, she left part of her portion
on the plate. A soldier, after their
Majesties had departed finished 1t,
and went around Boosting, I'm the
man that ate the Queens pancake"
The Eagle Hut boasts three attrac-
tons SO typically American that they
are almost a curiosity in London They
are an American BARRIERS chair, an
American bootblack stand and a pam
cake griddle.
The BARRIERS chair was discovered
Somewhere in England after a lons
patient Search and was bought for
$50. When the Y. NJ. C. A. peop4,
hear the American soldier. as he
stretches out in it, say "Ah-h, that's
the stuff" they know they made
good investment. The English barber
chairs are upright, with an immov-
able back.
In England, when an American
wants to have his shoes shined he
looks in vain for the familiar perma-
nent chair-stands that he was ac-
customed to find in his home city.
Here he encounters only an itinerant
equipped with small box. No seat
is provided for the customer. The
London branch of an American shoe
company presented the Eagle Hut
with an American stand which has
marble top-piece and is surmounted
by one of those comfortable armchairs
in which a soldier can repose luxur-
iously
The pancake griddle was the hard
est nut of all to crack. The problem
was to obtain a metal plate large
enough to accommodate batter for all
the cakes the hungry soldiers craved.
London was searched rom end to end
and at last a plate was found. But
after the cooker had been constructed,
another problem presented itseAt.
What were the cakes to be made off,
Enter the wheat ration question. Tho
Y. NJ c. A. cooks had one idea as to
the amount of wheat that should be
used for the batter; the British gov
eminent had another-one quite diff
ferent. The cooks had to capitulate to
wars necessities and they mixed
enough corn meal and potato Hour with
the wheat to conform to the govern
ment's views.
To be Sin on the first batch" of
cakes, soldiers formed a queue in the
hut canteen extending AL around the
room They ate so many cakes the
first week that. according to one OF the
Hut's secretaries, they used up all the
maple syrup in England. A big sup
ply of syrup is now on the way from
home: also a consignment of buck
wheat. the arrival of which will mean
other queues.
The introduction at the Hut re-
Gently of what is alphabetically known
,S@Ir fNv
ton of a line even longer than the
pancake Queue. The average after
noon consumption of this favorite
American dish now amounts TO eighty
quarts.
One of the seven secretaries OF the
American Eagle Hut here was snatch
ing moments rest in his cubscle on
a recent Sunday afternoon when
tall American soldier looked IN at the
open door. 1t was evident that the
soldier had request to make, but he
hesitated and stammered consider
ably before he got up the courage to
say he wanted to borrow a suit Of UNI
derwear
81 hate to trouble you for anything
like that sir" he apologized, but this
being Sunday the stores are closed,
and I'VE been asked out TO dinner, so
you see
The secretary found he had a suit
to spare A little later, passing through |
the bathroom, he saw the big fellow
splashing under a shower. Say,
the soldier greeted him, "I believe
you can get anything here ir you ask |
for it."
The soldiers and sailors ask FOR all /
kinds of things at the Eagle Hut, and
rarely are they disappointed One ar
u dxvfo VIII
is constantly on tap at the tnforma-
ton window.
A lad in khaki will hang about until
the window is clear. Then he will
edge I'D to it and IN a bashfui whisper
say:
DO you think it would be all righf
II married an English girl?"
Before the puzzled official can for
mnIata an answer. another soldier will |
dash I'D breathlessly and demand to /
know how he can get out of the Can
adam army into the American. Stiii
another will press forward For infor-
nation as to why mail from his Aunt
Hetty in Sycamore Center, Kansas, |
hasn't reached HIM IN camp anu when
he may expect 1t.
The Eagle Hut is headquarters for |
the enlisted men of the American over |
seas forces on their visits TO the Brit |
fsh. METROPOLIS 1t is hotel, club and !
home all combined, and il is for them |
the most popular place in the city. |
Naturally London is the Mecca o.
every soldier and sailor on leave in |
England and the first visit is hkely |
to prove bewildering. Forewarneo,
the American makes beeine Tor the |
Eagle Hut. and there he gets his |
bearings and ready answers 10 the
hundred and one questions he inyar-
iably asks There he finds food. en-
and ompanionship.
In the roomy, comfortable lounge ne
registers by writing his name on a
marker which he sticks into the nag
map of the e 8 A.