Evening star., 1929-12-21
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

been prescribed In Army regulations o
knotted fringe Of yellow silk on the
national standards of mounted .regt-
ments and on the national colors OF
unmounted regiments. The War DEPART
ment, however, knows Of no law which
either requires or prohibits the placing
of a fringe on the flag of the United
States. No act of Congress or Executive
order has been found bearing on the
question. In flag manufacture fringe
is not considered to be a part of the
flag, and it Is without heraldic signifi-
canoe. In the common use Of the word
it is a fringe and not border An
cient custom sanctions the use OF fringe
on the regimental colors and standards,
but there seems to be no good reason or
precedent for its use on other flags.
@. Who is the youngest person In the
United States diplomatic seryice?-
B. T.
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has this distinc-
tion. He Is from Portland, Greg.
@. Is the treaty of Paris still in
force giving Great Britain equal rights
with the United States in navigation
of the Mississippi?-J. A. M.
A. The British government has MAIN
the United States before the War Of
1912 were terminated by that war.
While the United States has taken the
position that the War of 1912 did not
necessarily terminate those treaties,
there would appear to be no doubt that
the provision of article VIII of the
treaty of Client, concluded on Decem-
ber "a, 1914, endeavored to have a
provision inserted in that treaty which
uyOt,lH ick @Io
right to navigate the Mississippi, but,
the American negotiators being unwill-
ing to yield to that proposal, it was
not included In the treaty. In note
dated october 80, 1915, from the Brit
ish foreign office to the American Min
lister at London. published in American
State Papers, volume w, page 354, and
following, the right of British subjects
to the free navigation Of the Mississippi
Is admitted to have been abandoned.
@. How great weight can an eagle
carry?-F. K.
A. An eagle can carry about 10 or
IL pounds. Occasionally q larger
weight has been carried q short dis
tance.
O. Can an enlisted man purchase his
discharge from the Army? II 50, what
does 1t cost?-K. S.
a. III Clme OF peace, In certain STU
ationS and conditions, discharges are
thus allowed. Length of service and
place stationed enter into the price,
which ranges from SIS for a Philippine
Scout after IL years service to Sl70
after one years service in the Philip
pines or China. Sometimes part Of the
payment is waived when the author
tiles find it justifiable.
O. How hot does 1t get in the African
desert and jungles?-T. A.
A. The temperature rises to greater
heights in the African deserts than in
the jungle. The desert regions have
a very small percentage of humidity,
while the jungles have an average
humidity Of 80 degrees, consequently
the heat in the latter region Is very
oppressive to white persons. In the
deserts Of Northern Africa the tenn
perature may rise very high in Sum-
mer; the average in July exceeds 90
degrees; ITO degrees is often reached
on the coast; 120 degrees in the In
terror. At Azizia in Tripol the ther-
mometers registered 1875 degrees in the
shade, the highest recorded on the
earth's surface. 10y 80 i.-7 7''- .t-rt-