Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-29
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKlN.

mean any considerable number
A. In 1928 6s2 1903 birds were i'm
ported into the United States. OF this
number more than half, or 35o.449. were
canaTies and 56,307 were parrots, inn
birds. OF those imported to be turned
loose, quail were the most numerous
S4,915.
Q. Why has the head of the sphinx
been SO badly mutilated?-R. G.
A. The mutilations OF the Sphinx
which now dtsfigue it date from the
Arab domination. Baedeker says in his
Guide to Cairo and Environs" that in
| 1880 the Sphinx fell a victim to the
iconoclaStic zeal of fanatic sheik, and
it was afterward used as target by
the barbarous Mamelukes.
@. Will the growth OF Ivy on stucco
house cause 1t to crack?-G. A. B.
A. The Bureau OF Standards says
| that ivy will not cause Stucco house
to crack. 1t will, however, tend TO pre-
vent evaporation of the moisture from
the walls after rainfall, with consequent
possible dampneSs in the house. The
tendrilS of the ivy may bore into the
stucco and may cause disintegration at
these points, provided the stucco is not
of good quality.
@. What do the experts say is the
greatest, population that the earth could
support?-P. B. M.
A. Prof. Robert r. Kuczinski of Ber-
lin, one of the recognized authorities,
has stated that. assuming that there
are $4,000, 000,000 acres of arabic land
and that LIS acres on the average are
sufficient to support an individual, the
maximum population would have to
be placed at less than 10000, 000, 900.
Even allowing for all conceivable adj
all human effort Will be directed to the
maintenance of maximum number Of
people" he says, ''it seems impossible
that the earth could sustain more than
six times its present population, or
about 2,0oo,o0O,O00 people"
Q. Does the population of cities in
crease more rapidly than the increase
in the population as a whole?--F. L. K.
A. From 1900 to 1920 the total pop
ulatiOn increased 80 per cent while the
urban population increased 40 per cent.
@. wish some information about the
| Burma-I p.
A. 1t is one of the most magnificent
Buddhist pagodas on earth. 1t is the
Mecca of the followers of the Great
Enlightened One in that part of Asia.
1t is literally covered with gold leaf.
The long flight of stairs which leads to
the shrine is covered by a series OF
wonderfully carved teak roofs, sup
ported by pillars Of wood and masonry.
The pagoda has no interior, being q
solid mass of brick raised aver a relic
chamber. Carpenter describes the
structure as "a gilded mountain ending
in a spire nearly 400 feet high" A
great shining umbrella, from which
hang more than 1900 bells of gold and
others of silver, is feature of this
pagoda.
| @. What is Fascism?-E. H
| A. 1t is a form of nationalism, re-
sulting from the determination of the
Fascist to extricate Italy from the
chaos resulting from the World War,
to give her moral unity. and, in fact,
to make her new state. The Fascist
were formed to oppose, by violent
means if necessary, all radical elements
in the country, such as Bolshe4iks and
Communists. n
O. Who wrote the poem in which
each StanZa ends with the line Even
this shall pass away"?-B. D.
| A. 1t was written by Theodore Tilton.