Evening star., 1928-05-07

Inc resources OF our Tree 1lIOrmdtlOn
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 Q cents in stamps for re-
turn postage. Address your letter to
The Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic j. Haskin, director, Washing
ton, ID. G.
@. What is the red liquid used in
the dash register on automobiles?-B. N.
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that the liquid used In the dash register
on automobiles is alcohol with an or
ganic dye which is soluble in alcohol,
such as magenta and eosine, both coal
tar derivatives.
@. Who is the editor of the New
Era?--L H.
A. The New Era Is published in the
United States Penitentiary at Leaven-
worth, Kans., and DR.. Frederick A.
Cook Is its editor.
@. How large foreign trade Office
does the Department of Commerce have
in Paris?-G. H. G..
A. The Paris Office of the Bureau Of
Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the
Department OF Commerce has a staff
numbering 35 to 40. The commercial
attache in charge is Mr.. H. G. MacI.ean
@. How should a book manuscript
be secured together?-A. r. H.
A. In recent address given by the
president Of we'll known publishing
company the statement was made that
its editorial department much prefers
tina: no binding be placed upon the
page of a manuscript. He showed a.
model manuscript which had been for
warded TO the company in box such
as that in which one buys a large
amount of typewriter paper The pages
and chapters should be arranged in
regular sequence.
@. Why is the number on clocks
made thus, iii, instead Of IV?-
g. M. b.
A. 1t is not definitely known when
the practice of using iIII instead of
w on the dials of clocks and watches
arose, nor the reason for it. There is
story that a famous clockmaker had
constructed a clock for Louis XIV of
France. He had naturally used the
numeral ". When the clock was shown
to the King, however, he insisted upon
the change I'LL. This same story has
been told In connection with various
monarchs. Prof. Milham says that one
reason for the change may be symmetry
On the other side Of the dial the num-
Der VIII is the heaviest number, con-
sistinR of four heavy strokes and one
light one. 1t would destroy the SYM
metrical appearance Of the dial TO have
~ with only two heavy strokes on the
other side.
@. At what time does the cotton
bloom?-M. K.
A. Cotton sowing usually commences
from approximately March 10 to April
Is and continues to May Is. The
young shoots, which appear In from
10 TO Is days, are weeded and thinned
when they have attained a height Of
from 2 to inches. The average date
of bloom Is June 5. Picking time
Is from July 10, In southern Texas, up
to September 10. in Tennessee. and the
Carolinas.
@. How many gallstones have been
removed from patient?-P. H.
A. The number may be very great,
1902 having been reported in one case.
@. Is the burning Of oil and gas
wells in some degree responsible for the
fioods?---J. d. NJ.
A. The burning Of the gas and oil
puts water vapor in the air, as for every
gallon Of oil burned there Is added
about a gallon of water TO the air. Yet
even this is negligible. so far as making
rain is concerned. since the burning Of
thousand million barrels Of oil would
produce only enough water to give q
bare one -hundredth of an inch Of RAIN
fall over the United States alone. Our
floods are not made that way.
@. How many people have attended
Roxy's Theater in. New York City,
A. r. NJ.
A. Six and half million people went
to this theater last year, the first year
OF its operation.
q. What Is the average horsepower
of our warships and how fast do they
traveiq-~F. X. S.
A. The average horsepower OF the
modern battleship is about $4,000, of a
cruiser destroyer about 1880. The
speed OF battleship is about 81 knots
an hour.
@. Why is the term bachelor" used
In college degrees?--H NJ N.
A. The term bachelor was first used