Evening star., 1932-01-30
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
Washingtno Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. HaSkin, Director, Washing
ton, D. c. Inclose two cents in coir
or stamps for return postage.
@. How much life insurance is
written in the United States in year?
B. B.
A. The total life insurance in force
', in the United States on January l, 1880,
was estimated to be SOB, coo 900 600,
New business written during the year
aggregated $4,000, 100000.
@. To what extent can telephone sub
scribers talk with other telephone sub
scribers?-W. T. D.
A. The Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce has just an
nounced that 40 countries now ere in
terconnected by telephone and that 90
per cent of all the telephone subscrib-
ers in the world can talk to any Of the
others. international telephOning is on
the increase, Christmas day 1881, max
ing an all-time record.
@. Who said, u am fond of chill
dren-eXcept boys"?-R. T.
A. Lewis Carroll.
@. How many cities are there in the
world with a population of 10000 900
and over?-H. M.
A. Twenty-seven. Rome, with a new
enumeration Of 1,013368, has just
passed the million mark. Mexico City
passed that mark last Summer and the
figure was expected TO remain at rs for
some time, but a new count has just
revealed extremely rapid gains in Rome,
@. How will the Presidents proposed
home financing plan help the thousands
of persons in the smaller isolated towns
of the country, where they have no
local building and loan association or
finance COrporation?-J. J. q.
A. The Presidents Conference on
Home Building and Home Ownership
says that the bills before Congress con-
template that institutions of the fol-
lowing types would come under the
act: Building and loan associations, CO.
operative banks and homestead assO-
Citations, savings banks, trust companies
and other banks and insurance COM
panies. 1t believes the intention of
the bill is to reach all the communl-
ties in the United States, through one
or more of these various types of in
stitutions.
@. What was the date Of the sinking
of the Titanic?-M. c.
A. The Titanic was wrecked April
14-15, 1912, by collision with an ice
berg off Newfoundland, on her maiden
trip from Liverpool to New York. Loss
of life reached l,517, Of which number
l03 were women and So were children.
@. How many immigration inspectors
are there in the United States?-G. K.
A. On November l, 1881, there were
1,129.
@. How has the long established
American custom Of permitting works
of art over 100 years old to come in
free of any customs duty been null
ihed?-D. o. E.
A. 1t has not been entirely nullified,
but several countries have lessened its
value by censoring expectation OF an
tiQues. Italy has stringent rules and
Spain has recently absolutely forbidden
sales of such objects abroad. If works
OF art over IOU years OIQ are uUU
permitted to leave their countries Of
origin. it is of no value to have them
duty-free here.
@. Does Canada help to pay Eng
lands war debt?-W R. B.
A. Canada does not pay England
definite tax. nor is it required to help
pay Englands war debt Although an
integral part Of the British Common