New Britain herald., 1925-10-12

other questions will receive a per sonal reply. Unsigned requests san not be answered. All letters are conAdential.-Editor. Q. Is the foreign trade of the Unitel States increasing or dccreas- ing?
 A. It increased largely during the first six months of the year. ex- cecding In value the total for the same period in any preivous years except the war years of 1917 and 1918 and the post war years of 1919 and 1920. Exports during the six months period amounted 10 s2,364, 100000, or, about 1S per cent increase over 1924. With few exceptions the big groups of ex- ports made substantial gains in value over last year. Vegetable foodstuffs. principally grains, were 51 per cent higher than Q year ago; the value of vehicle exports in- creased 34 per cent. Tertiles prin- cipally raw cotton were up 30 per cent, the machinery group in- creased 13 per cent; the metals group was 9 per cent higher; chemicals 1 per cent and animal products held their own.
 Q. Is 1t true that snakes milk cows?
 A. This popular belief Is not up held by scientists. The stomach of a five, foot black snake is about five and one half inches long and an inch in diameter with a distcnd- ing limit of about four inches and an excess of about seven inches. This would not allow for much milk, even if such a thing ever really takes place.
 c. How much anthracite coal would bin 3 X 6 x z feet hold? A. A bin 3 X 6 x feetcontains 379 cubic feet. Anthracite coal, piled loose. weighs from 50 10 57 pounds to the cubic foot. Allowing 50 pounds to the cubic foot your bin will hold 18,900 pounds or 9.45 short tons of coal.
 Q. In what countries are pass ports for travel not required of American citizens?
 A. Bahamas; Bermuda; Canada; Cuba; Dominican Republic; Hon. duras; Jamaica (when the person is tourist or winter visitor); New foundland; the Republic of Pan anna; Paraguay (the countries through which one must pass in order 10 reach Paraguay, however, require passports). Passports are not required for direct tayel fom the United States to Mexico; they are, however, required of Americans who enter Mexico via third coun- 1 try.
 Q. What is the best method of removing wagon or automobile grease from clothing?
 A. Soften the grease stain with ! lard or oil and then wash the arti- cle in good soap and water, This should remove the stain If not left too long before trying to remove if.
 Q. What is the meaning of the word iperestrianistical? ?'
 A. This is the adjective form of the word and means one who rides on velocipede
 Q. What is meant by the phrase "drawing so many feet of water when referring to a vessel?
 A, A. vessel is said to draw six ty feet of water, for instance, when it sinks to 8 depth of sixty feet in the water, especially when loaded.
 o. What cities have been used as the capital of the United States?
 A. Before the Constitution made provision for a capital, Philadel- phia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton and New York were meeting places ol congress. In 17S3 a site was select ed near the falls of the Delaware but the plan was not carried out Washington became the capital ir 1900.
 Q. Did Lao-tze, the famous Chinese sage, live about the same time as Confucius and were they friends?
 A. Lao-tze was contemporary with Confucids: both tlourishet about $50 B, c. Confucius is said t' have visited Lao-tze about 517 B. C and learned from him a lesson O humility. Little is known of thu life of Lao-tze that is absolutel! trustworthy.
 Q. Has Professor Goddard can celled his trip to the moon in hi moon rocket?
 A. Professor Robert II. Goddard of Clark university, Worcester Mass, is still continuing his eX periments on a rocket which ma, be propelled outside the predomi mating gravitational field of th earth, The present enorts, how ever, are merely to perfect a smal
 rocket which may be used to e
 plore the upper atmosphere of tn
 earth and it will be many year
 probably before any effort Is mad F 10 construct a rocket capable o . being shot outside the gravitationa
 field of the earth and into tn
 moon. Prof. Goddard has neve
 had any idea of this rocket carry
 ing a man, but number of ad
 venturous persons have write
 And so is my face and my ears.