Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-20
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

O. Was Comdr. Byrd given the
Congressional Medal of HONOR
T. J. NJ
A. This medal was presented to
Comdr. Byrd on February %. 1927.
by President Coolidge, at the Execu-
tive offices.
S. D. i'0" many e0'0rs are 'nere-
A. Correctly speaking. there are
put three primary colors-red, blue
and yellow. All the complementary
colors are prepared by mixtures. The
eye is capable of distinguishing about
l,OOO,O00 different tints or shades.
Q. What does the term 'basic
patent" mean?-F. c. II.
a. Ordinarily the term basic
patent is employed in the sense of
foundation >patent"-that is to say, a
patent for a pioneer invention-one
involving an altogether new principle.
a new departure, one for accomplish
ing something never accomplished be-
fore.
@. Is there any standard rule in
determining the number of beds hos
pital should have in order adequately
to serve the community?-A.B B. F.
A. Bed capacity is an involved
problem, but general rule Is one
bed for each $50 of the population,
town and country.
@. How many different languages
are spoken in the worldly. s.
A. Authorities differ widely as to
the number, of languages and dia'
lects that are spoken in the world at
the present time. Some give the mum
Der as 900, others as high as 5,O0O
and 1000.
Q. When were silver dollars first
coined?-W. G.. r.
A The original coinage of the sill
YER dollar was authorized in 1892. By
the act of January Is. 1887. the
weight and fineness of the coins were
changed. The act of February II, 1873
provides for the discrimination OF
the coinage of silver dollars. The acts
of February %, 1876; July IA, 1890
and March 3. 1891, authorized the
recoinage of silver dollars. The sill
yer purchase under the act of 1891
was consumed in 1904. There was nc
further authorization to purchase Sill
yer for dollars until the passage OF
the Pittman act of April %, 1918
From that time on, silver dollars have
been issued each year.
O. When was a siphon first used?-
A. E. c.
A, A siphon is a very old device
and is said to have been in use II
Egypt at least as early as 1,45O years
before Christ. An ordinary use there
of has been for drawing liquids from
a cask or other receptacle. Books OF
reference mention siphons as having
been used extensively for the purpose
of so-called "racking." in the process:
of making wines or liquors, by which
is meant the step of drawing off the
clear fluid from the lees.
Q. Where Is the great current O
the Pacific Ocean?-D. l..
A. The great current of the Pacific
Ocean is the Kuro Shio or Japan cur
rent, having it's source in the norti
equatorial current. 1t does not sen(
off a branch into the Bering Sea as il
commonly supposed. The northerl.
current of the Boring Sea is due t
local conditions.
@. Why was the lily chosen as ar
emblem Of Easter?-C. ]. S.
A. The lily is the symbol of Easter
because it signifies purity and because
it is one of the earliest Spring flowers
typifying the rebirth of nature aftel
the long Winter sleep.
@. Can a foreigner in the Unitet
States on visitors permit have i
extended?-M. III.
A. Aliens who are in the United
States with a. visitors permit must
leave the country when such permit
expires. An extension of time is no,
granted except in very extraordinary
circumstances.
Q. Please tell me about the sora
birds. 1 understand they appear in
incalculable numbers, overnight, il
Chickahominy, or White Oak, Swamp
Virginia. and after a short sojourr
disappear.-W. A. r.
A. The sora is a bird of the raj
family. This is a swamp bird thai
lives entirely in marshes, usually
fresh or brackish waters, and ranges
over the entire North American con