Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-08

ton Bureau are at your service. You
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| to The Evening Star Information Blu
reau. Frederic J. HaSkin, director, Wash
ington, D. G..
@. Who coined the phrase, "a scrap
of paper" in the World War?-H. S. NJ
A. The German chancellor. Won
Bethmann- Hollweg, is quoted as hav-
ing said that England was going to
war for Belgian neutrality just for a
scrap of paper.
@ Why is robber on the seas called
a pirate" ?-G. A.P.
A. The Latin word "pirata" means to
attack or assault" and the Italian "pi-
ratare" means to rob by sea-" The
English word is derived from these
@. What is the P. E. N. Club?-
A. it Is a society in London, of
which John Galsworthy is president.
The initials stand for poets, playwrights,
editors and noveltStS and it's object is
to bring literary aspirants under 30
into contact with others in their fields.
@. How heavy was the largest hail
stone ever weighed?-D. H.
A. DR.. Ham, German meteorolo-
gist, mentions one that probably holds
the record. He says. In the hail &C.
curing in Austria (Styria and Carin-
THAI in early July, 1897, there fell
hQilct0nOc 1 Eoy l-N
or more" He adds that the largest
hailstones are known to fall in sub
tropical ATTITUDES. especially where the
land rises somewhat above the level of
the sea. In upper India: Mesopotamia,
Asia Minor especially Armenia). Aus
tralia, Natal and in the middle and
southern parts of the United States
there occasionally occur frightful hail
storms.
@. What is fox fire?-J. HE.
A. Fox fire Is the phosphorescent
light emitted by foxed or rotten wood
and is popularity of certain species
OF fungi. Climate has no effect on this
condition except as it affects the
growth of the fungus.
@. What countries are represented at
the Vatican?-W. l.. P,
A. The following countries send rep
resentatives to the Vatican: Germany.
Bavaria, Argentina, Belgium. Austria,
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia. Costa
RIGA, Spain. France, Great Britain,
Greece, Haiti, Netherlands, Hungary,
Latvla, Lithuania. Luxembourg, Monaco,
Nicaragua, Peru. Poland. Portugal. Ru-
mania, Russia. Czechoslovakia, Venezu-
ella and Jugoslavia.
@. When was the first paper made
from cornStalks?-L. H.
A. AS early as 1865 German. Jacob
Schaeffer, called attention to Indian
corn as possible source of paper. The
first American patent on paper to be
made from corn was taken out in 1902
by B. Allison and j. Hawkins for a
process of making paper out of corn
huSks. Twenty years ago the Depart
ment OF Agriculture conducted extern
sive experiments on paper making with
cornstalks and carried the work into
actual mill operation.
Q. How may apples be packed for
S. L. E.
A. 1t has been found that wrapping
the apples in paper treated in oil re-
duces shriveling very materially.
Q. Is the tonsure an ancient custom?
"A. G. c.
A. Among the priests of Isis and
Scraps the tonsure was the custom.
II entered Christianity through monas-
ticism.
@. What branch of science furnishes
positions for the most people ?-J. Y.
A. More persons are engaged In the
pursuit of chemistry than in any other
science. There are approximately % 900
chemists and assistants in the United
States. The teaching of chemistry in
colleges and universities, in medical and
other professional schools. requires a
large number of the most highly train
ed specialists in the field; in many uni
versity departments important research
is carried on. Industries for the man
ufacture of chemical products, food
stuffs, gases. leather, metals, paints,
petroleum, Photographic materials, rub
Der, soap, textiles and other products
maintain laboratories for the control
OF production. for development and for
research, in which chemists are en-
ployed as analysts, research workers,