Evening star., 1932-05-05
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC HASKIN.

Have we had the pleasure Of serving
| YOU through our Washington Informa-
| ton Bureau? Can't We be OF some help
| to YOU in your problems? Our business
| is to furnish you with authoritative in
formation, and We invite you to ask us
! any question of fact in which you are
| interested. Send your inquiry to The
Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing
| ton, D. c. Inclose cents in coin or
stamps for return postage.
@. What was Hans Wagner's batting
| average &c. H. F.
"A. His lifetime average is .329
@. How many men have piloted au-
, tomobiles at speed greater than 200
miles an hour?-F. L. D.
A. Only five. They are Mai. H. o. D
Segrave. Daytona. Fla, 2O397 miles an
hour: Roy Keech. Daytona, Fla, 207 .55
miles per hour; Frank Lockhart, Day
tona. Fla. officially exceeded 200 miles
per hour in trials, but was killed when
| irving to beat the Keech record; Lee
Bible, Daytona. Fla, 204 miles per
hour; Capt. Malcolm Campbell, 245.7S
miles per hour.
Q. What is the maguey or agave used
IOI III R1CAACOs-Os -
A. 1t is used by the Mexicans to
! prepare q fermented Intoxicating drink.
The sap of the plant is taken out and
allowed to ferment. 1t has neither food
nor medicinal properties.
O. What is meant by an omnibus pen
sion bill in Congress?-M. E. S.
A. 1t refers to a bill which is COM
posed of many small pension items to
individuals.
@. Which was organized first, our
Army, Navy. or Marine Corps?-E. McC
A. The rising of the American Colo
nists against the British enemy occurred
Oh land and at sea more or less coin
cidentally over a long period, and it is
impossible TO assign any date which
would show which arm of the service
was first in this regard.
@. What is termed the most perfect
Gothic structure in Americas. R.
A. The University Club building in
Chicago.
@, Has Estonia President?-W. B.
A. Estonia became a republic on Feb
ruary "a, 1918, after the Bolshevist
coup d'etat in Russia The head of
the EStonia Government is called Of
fcially State Head" and that Office
corresponds to that of president in other
republics. The present state head is
Konstantin Pats, who took Office on
February IL, 1881.
O. What is a sand-box tree ?-L. .McC.
A. 1t is tropical American euphor-
biaceous tree, Hura crepitans, having
depressed many-celled woody cap
sule which when con pletely dry bursts
with loud report and scatters the
seeds.
@. Can a person employed in a post
Office also be a school trustee?-R. c.
A. The Post once Department says
that post office employees may hold
other positions as long as the positions
are not secured by vote or any type
Of election. If the position is ap-
pointive, it is permissible for the en-
ploye to hold it.
@. Who was in charge of the boats
in which Washington and his men
crossed the Delaware?-G. NJ.
A. A patriot, now almost forgotten,
John Glover He rose to the rank of
brigadier general.
@. When was artificial silk first
made?-D. S.
A. A substitute for silk has been
sought for great many years. AS
early as 1855 George Audemars OF
Switzerland patented in England a
process for making artificial silk like
filaments from collodion and liquid rub
Der. The artificial silk industry was
not established on practical basis,
however. until the invention of a French
count Hilaire de Chardonnet, who ex-
hibited a cellulose yarn in Paris in