Evening star., 1924-08-19
Answers to Questions
BY FREDERIC }. HAsBsN

Q. Are gears used on airplanes?-
r. L.
| A. The Air Service says that q few
airplane engines have geared dowr
propellers. but. most Of them have 9
direct drive.
@. Is there any value In barre
rolling for pumping water out Of the
lungs of person nearly drowned?-
+. s.
A. The American Red Cross says
that barrel roll is obsolute and fatal
and that the barrel ought to be made
q symbol of death. The prone pres
sure method OF resuscitation is the
most advisable and practical.
Q. Please give me some general in
formation about swans-their -distri-
button, etc. Do they sing but once?-
T. T.
A. Swans have been favorites OF
people since ancient times. Greeks
called them the birds Of Apollo. There
are two fine species Of swans In
America-the Trumpeter and the
Whistler. They build their nests
along the shores of lakes and on
islands. from the Dakotas north to
the Arctic regions. Peoples used to
believe that a swan sang but once,
and that was when 1t was dying. This
is not true. The swans are great
trumpeters, but they never sing.
Q. What are some of the dances
that were popular in the eighteenth
century?-T. j.
A. Among them were High Betty
Martin, Rolling Hornpipe. Constancy,
the Ladys Choice and the Strap.
Q. Who is the prime minister of
Canada ?-J. D. G..
A. w. L. Mackenzie King is the
Canadian premier
Q. What percentage of the popula-
tion Of Ireland is Catholic?-N. T.. N.
A. The Roman Catholic population
amounts to more than 20 per cent of
the total. There were at the last
census 3.242.670 Catholics on the
island and 1,147549 non-Catholics.
Q. How often are the moon and
Venus in conjunction?-L B.
A. The moon is in conjunction
with Venus generally once in each
lunar month. The configuration OF
the two bodies varies greatly at sue
cessive conjunctions. and it also de-
pends on the time OF day when they
81 ooSci 'Co dilu tuc pOSlllOn OF Ine
observer. There is, therefore, no
fixed interval after which the same
configurations will be repeated
Q. What State has the greatest
and which the smallest population p
A NJ
A. New York has the largest num-
Der of people in the Union. The
population in 1920 was 1O,3s2.227.
Nevada had the smallest number of
persons. In 1920 there were 77,407.
Q. Who appointed Judge Taft to
the Supreme Court?-T. c. D.
A. William Howard Taft was ap-
pointed by President Harding and
confirmed by the Senate as Chief
Justice of the United States Supreme
official oath July and was installed
October 3, 1921.
Q. How many Woolworth stores
are thereto. w. B.
A. There are 1890 woolworth
stores in the United States and $4,000
employees. There are 142 additional
Woolworth stores in England.
/ Q. What per cent of the crimes Of
today are committed by ex-convicts ?
i. F.
A. According to survey reported
to the Chicago Crime Commission,
nearly 20 per cent of the inmates of
the prisons and penitentiaries at the
present time are what are known as
"repeaters," or those who have been
convicted on more than one occasion.
Q. Has there ever been an interna-
tional agreement to limit arma-
ments?-D. V. w.
A. Such an agreement was made
between Chile and Argentina in 1902.
Q. Was hydrogen or helium used
for initiating the dirigible' ZR-2?-
w. H.
A. The Navy Department says that
hydrogen was the gas used. The
failure Of this dirigible was not due
to gas but to faulty construction of
the skeleton itself.
Q. When people burn corn instead
Of coal, does it mean shelled corn OF
corn on the earl. G. E.
A. Corn can be burned in either
condition. but the ear might we'll be
burned as it has heat value.
Q. In euchre. if the dealer takes up
the turned card and says he will
play alone, what should he do with
the card he discards?-A. NJ. E.
A. 1t is customary when a dealer
plays a lone hand, for him to pass
his discard across the table to his
partner. face down, that there may
be no misunderstanding Of his inten.
ton.
(Any reader can get the ansoer
to any question by tcriting The Star
Information Bureau. Frederic J.
Hdskin, director, 2lst aud c. streets
northwest. This offer applies strictly
to Information. The bureau cannot
gtre dduice on legal. medical and
financial matters. 1t does not at
tempt to settle domestic troubles,
nor to undertake exhaustive re-
search on any subject. Write your
question plainly and briefly. Give
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postage. All replies are sent direct
to the inquirer. Do not send your
question to The E1eniu1 Star office).