Evening star., 1932-02-09

This newspaper puts at your disposal
corps Of trained researchers in wash
ington who will answer questions for
you. They have access to the Gov
ernment departments, the libraries,
museums, galleries and public buildings
and to the numerous associations which
maintain headquarters in the Nations
Capital. II they can be of assistance
to you, write your question plainly, and
send with 2 cents in coin or stamps to
The Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic ]. Haskin, Director, Wash
ington, D. c.
@. Is Ash Wednesday a holiday In
South American countries?-H. M.
A. It Is. The Monday and Tuesday
which precede Ash Wednesday are also
holidays, known as carnival days. South
American countries observe many more
holidays than this country does.
@. Where does burlap come from?
L. T.
A. The Department of Commerce
says that a small area in Eastern India
comprising less than 2 per cent Of the
country's total cultivated land, furnishes
the worlds entire commercial supply
of jute The exports of the fiber and
to India approximately $163, ,000, 900. The
United States is an important market,
in the fiscal year ended March 81, 1881,
having taken more than 100000, 900
pounds of the raw fiber, 100000
burlap bags, and almost 1000, 900, 900
yards Of burlap cloth.
@. In eating soup should the spoon
be drawn toward one or away?-O. w. B.
A. A soup spoon is dipped into the
surface Of the soup and moved toward
the farther edge Of the plate.
O. Where Is there a statue of Seward,
who was Secretary of State in Lincoln's
cabinet?-A. F. E.
A. Art in Our Country lists a statue
Of w. H. Seward as being in Seattle
Wash. 1t is the work of r. E. Brooks
@. Why is a ship referred to as
"she"?-B. B. S.
A. In some of the older languages,
such as Latin and Old German, from
which modern languages have been
derived, all inanimate objects were
given masculine or feminine gender
In this way, the moon was feminine
and the sun masculine, and, among
other things, ships and other vehicles
were generally spoken Of in the feminine
gender. Modern languages have adopted
| this same idea.
@. What was the Fashoda Incident?
j. n. B.
A. In 1898 a French force, under
Maj. Marchand, declined to withdraw
from Fashoda, on the White Nile. as
demanded by Gen. Kitchener. Later
the French government agreed to with
draw the force and a convention was
signed as to possessions and spheres of
influence Of the respective governments
in Central Africa. France renounced
any claim to the Nile Valley.
@. How much radium is there at the
present time?-F. G. c.
A. About 600 grams of radium zap
proximately 20 ounces have been pro-
duced in the world.
O. When did the Pullman Co. dis
criminate in the prices of upper and
lower berths?-J. E. S.
A. On February l. 1911, the Pullman
Co. filed tariff with the Interstate
Commerce Commission reducing the
price of an upper berth 20 per cent
This made the cost of an upper berth
80 per cent Of the cost of the lower
On May /, 1920, the Pullman Co. was
granted permission by the Interstate
Commerce Commission to increase the
rate on all acconnmoda tions 20 per cent
On May /, 1880, the Pullman Co. re-
duced the rate for a section, when oc-
cupied by one person, to the rate for