Evening star., 1932-12-12

This Is q special department de-
voted solely to the handling of queries.
This paper puts at your disposal the
services Of an extensive ormnization in
Washington to serve you IN any ca
pacity that relates to information. This
service is free Failure to NIKE use of
It deprives you of benefits to which you
are entitled. Your obligation IS only 8
cents in coin or stamps inclosed with
your inquiry for direct reply. Do not
use post cards. Address The Evening
Star Information Bureau, Frederic j.
Haskin, Director, Washington, D. c.
Q. Will there be any more changes In
the rules for contract bridge?-W. A.
A. Contract is a new game. 1t is
being studied for soundness by many
experts. 1t is quite probable that fur
ther changes will be made.
@. How many radio amateurs are
there in this country compared with a
year ago?-H. K. j.
A. There are now So,s74 radio anna
teurs, an increase Of 1895 over 1881.
q. What gift did the United States
present to the French Republic re-
cently?-K. j.
| A. 1t was France Defiant" a colos-
sal figure by Frederick MacMonnieS, for
which thousands of American school
children contributed their pennies. It
was accepted by Premier Herriot at the
dedication on the Marine battlefield
near Mearx.
@. Is there Drake estate in England
awaiting division among heirs?-E. H.
A. There Is no Drake estate. Sir
Francis Drake was married twice, but
he left no children by either marriage.
His estate was inherited by his brother
John. Americans have for generations
been willing to be mulcted out Of thou
sands OF dollars by persons who repre-
sent themselves to be in a position to
secure money from this estate.
@. What word stands for the study
OF trees, as botany does for plant life?-
B. OBJ
A. The word is dendrology.
@. Are experiments going forward in
the United States looking to sending
rockets beyond the earths atmosphere?
j. F.
A. Prof. Robert H. Goddard is build
ing q rocket plane in Roswell, N. Mex.
Cleve Shaffer Is studying rocket pro-
pulsion in San Francisco, and Harvey
v. Bull at the University of Syracuse
Syracuse, N. Y. A rocket Is also being
built by the American Interplanetary
Society in the vicinity of New York
City under the direction of Edward
Bendray, David LASER, H. F. Pierce
and DR.. H. H. Sheldon of New York
University, New York City.
@. What was the full name Of the
author of Robinson Crusoe?"-J. L.
A. His fathers name was Foe and
the author was known as Daniel Foe
until he was 40 years old, when he
added the aristocratic prefix De to his
surname.
Q. How long ago were crossword
puzzles known?-F. N.
A. Something similar to the cross
word puzzle is said to have taken up
much Of the time of the Hindus and
Chinese as long ago as 1000 BIC
The American Indians also played some
kind OF criSscroSS game with grains
Of corn when the first white men ar
rived on this continent. Magic squares
played an important part in the oc-
culttsm and mysticism of the Middle
Ages. These seem to have been the
predecessors Of crossword puzzles of
today.
Q. How many grandchildren had
Queen Victoria at the time Of her
death?-J. N. P.
A. She had 81.
@. How long has the MacDowell
Colony at Peterboro, N. H, been estab-
lished? Who are some Of the artists
who have worked therein. L.
A. December, 1892, will mark the
twenty-flfth anniversary of the found
ing Of the MacDowen Colony and the
seventieth anniversary Of the birth of
the composer, Edward MacDowell. The
colony has grown from one studio and