Evening star., 1928-05-23
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

The resources OF our free Information
Bureau are at your service. You are
invited to call upon 1t as often as you
please 1t Is being maintained solely
to serve you. What question can We
answer for you? There Is no charge at
all except 2 cents In stamps for re-
turn postage. Address your letter 20
The Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Haskin. director, Washing
ton, d. G.
@. What is the general content OF the
recent bill introduced into Congress for
an increase In number CT appointments
to the Naval Academy?-N. q. F..
A. The naval appropriations bill
which has passed Congress provides an
allowance of four midshipmsn for each
Senator, Representative and Delegate in
Congress, and OF four midshipmen from
Porto Rico, instead of the former al
loWance of three
O. Is the temperature used by the
Weather Bureau shade temperature !?
W r. b.
A. The temperatures given out by the
United States Weather Bureau are the
readings of good thermometers exposed
to free circulation of the atmosphere
in a shelter that screens off both direct
and reflected sunshine. This is the true
temperature of the air. whether in
shade or in sunshine. If the thermom-
eter read 100 degrees in the shade. 1t
would read more If exposed to the SUM-
shine. but how much more would de-
mend on the time of day, time OF year
location latitude, height above sea lev
el distance from ocean or lake. etc) {,
kind of thermometer, direction of wind
and above all else, strength of Tind
Under certain Conditions. especially IN
a strong wind, the difference would be
very small, perhaps at Ilmes bareiy
measurable In stagnant air. the ull-
ference might be anything up TO 9O de.
arees or more: but such readings Would
indicate the temperature OF the tLeF-
mometer, not that Of the air.
O. How many Bibles does the Amerl-
can Bible Society distribute in a year,
A In 1927. there were 10,034,797
copies published. This included entire
Bibles or part of the Bible. and en-
braced publications in l66 languages
and dialects.
@. How is corn salad prepared for the
tables. L. M,
A The small leaves of corn salad are
served like lettuce. The large ones may
be used as green's
O. When were celluloid collars firSt
made?- C..
A, A patent for such a device was
issued in 1878 The material used was
composed of a celluloid composition.
cemented to a piece of cotton cloth.
the cloth being placed between the two
veneerS of the thin composition sheets.
In 1879. the manufacture began OF the
celluloid collar made OF solid stock. ap-
proximately 20,000ths of an inch thick.
O. How much money have Americans
in investments abroad?-G. S. Fl.
A. At the end of 1926, the amount OF
money invested abroad by Americans
was Sill .2l5. .000,00
O. When was the science OF mathe-
mates first used?-E. P. s.
A. The science of mathematics Is
very ancient and was first recorded by
the Egyptians. 1t is found among an
cient Chinese. Hindus and Babylonians.
OF the mathematical papyri. the most
elaborate Is that transcribed by AhmeS,
about l700 BIC. from one written prob
ably some six or eight centuries earlier.
This real beginning of mathematics.
however, Is to be found in Greece, par
ticularly In the works of ThaleS, Pyth-
agoraS, Hippocrates and Euclid.
@. When did the l2-cent and 1la-
cent stamps come into use?-C. II. A.
A. The postal service act approved
February 2s, 1925, increased the rates
Of postage, effective April Is. 1925.