Evening star., 1932-12-31
Of the vast number of questions an

swered by this department only a IeW
can be published in this column Ine
ones that are printed must be OF gen
eral interest and not personal IN tnell
nature. Do not, therefore, merely slsh
your initials to your letter and ask Una!
the answer be published. Give lulI
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turn postage. Do not use post cares
Direct your letter to The Evening star
Information Bureau, Frederic j. Has
kin, Director, Washington, D. c.
@ How many molten picture thea
ters are there in the United States, botn
silent and those equipped with SOUND
apparatus?-G. g.
A. In 1882 there were 90 motion
There were 1925 sound-equipped mo
ton picture theaterS and 5,2S5 silent
theaters. OF the 5,295 silent theaters
3,757 are not operating: Of the total
number of sound-equlCped theaters J.
$50 are not operating.
H. +. ".
A. A commercial treaty is contract
between countries relative to trade.
~
each contra citing party toward the
other.
O. When is National Child Health
day?-D. D.
A. The lst Of May or May day is
known as National Child Health day.
O. What is the best commercial rec
ord for a large airship?-D. B.
A. 1t is probably that Of the Graf
Zeppelin. Up to January 1, 1882, her
record was Total number Of voyages,
1872: total flying time. $500 hours; total
distance flown, 218,642 miles; average
speed, 62.5 miles per hour; passengers
carried, 6,778; total persons carried
l5,472. The Graf had been making
short passenger cruises over the Medi-
terranean and around Europe She has
just completed series of 18 scheduled
tween Friedrichshafen and Pernam-
buco.
@. How much money is spent for
flowers each year?-C. N.
A. The total approximate sales Of the
1891 florists listed in the 1880 Census
of Distribution were 77,488,758 In
1929
@. Was Mendelssohn the correct
name of the composer, and of what
nationality was he'd. A. c..
A. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born
1909. in Hamburg, Germany. was a
German. His grandfather, Moses Men
delssohn, and his father, Abraham
Mendelssohn, were Jews. According to
his biography, his father caused Felix
his brother. and two sisters to be bap-
tized as Lutheran Christians.
@. Will the first person to file an ap-
plication for a patent for certain in
vention always be the one to receive the
patent?-D. s.
A. He will not. He will, however, be
the senior party in an interference con-
troversy.
@. What is the work of the Volun-
teerS Of America ?-F R. w.
A The work of the Volunteers of
America Is especially among prisoners
and those who are released from prison
and who find ii hard to obtain work or
the Salvation Army and is at present
under the management of Gen. Balling-
ton Booth. a son of the founder of the
Salvation Army, Gen. William Booth,
and his wife, Maud Ballington Booth.
@ What are the two most important
industries Of Alaska and what is their
value?-B. D.
A. During the fiscal year of 1882
there were 4e,524 skins of fur seals
taken in Alaska. These brought a to-
tai OF s546,2l920. Geld valued at So
$1,000 was mined in Alaska during the
last f1scal year This was an increase
OF about 100000 over the previous
fiscal wear.