Evening star., 1932-01-28
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Thousands of Government experts are
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Star Information Bureau. Frederic j.
Haskin, Director, washington, d. G.
@. What are the chief advantages OF
the biplane and the monoplane?--
A. C. o.
A. The Army Air Corps says that
because the two wings permit truss con-
struction for combat, or where the
plane gets sudden strain a biplane Is
better; also 1t permits the use OF shorter
wings to get the same lift. A mono
plane has the advantage Of getting full
efficiency out of the wing, and permits
greater visibility. The monoplane S
disadvantages are that it is designed
for one particular purpose, such as
straight flying or long distance.
@. What makes a magnet pick up a
pins. G.
A. The cause of magnetic phenomena
has not yet been entirely explained. Re-
cent investigations, particularly since
the discovery of the quantum theory,
have traced magnetic phenomena back
to the atom and to the electron. How
ever, many fundamental problems are
still unSOlVed.
O. Can the President Of the United
RI xIrifVA
lawsuit?-W. w.
A The precedent Is against such a
pr;~?tice. Thomas Jefferson when Pres
ident was summoned to Richmond to
testify as a witness at the trial Tor
treason Of Aaron Burr. He failed TO
return the summons, explaining tnat
for the President to be subject TO the
beck of courts would leave the state
without a head. This has since been
regarded as a ruling precedent.
@. Can any visitor to Washington see
the original copies Of the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution?
d. S. A.
A. The documents are In a specially
constructed case on the second floor OF
the library Of Congress, and any Wis
itor may see them without any for
mality.
@. Who was Louis Pasteur?-T. Y.
A. He was a French chemist, noted
for his Investigations in bacteriology.
1t was for him that the process Of pas
teurization was named.
@. How is the frequency Of vibration
Of sounds measured?--H. E. r.
A. The Bureau OF Standards says the
frequency of vibration Of any sound
having a definite pitch can be accu-
rately measured by means Of a micro
phone and an oScillograph. Many
sounds, such as clap of thunder or
the purring Of cat, will be complex
sounds, consisting Of mixtures Of sound
Of different pitches. Such sounds can
analyZed into their simple componentS,
whose frequency can be determined.
@ Were Abraham Lincolns parents
from the south?-T M
A. They were VirginianS.
Q How old do COWS live to be?-R
A H
A. Cattle will live to the age Of IS
time. Unless special circumstances
exist, a COW will have outlived her use
fu!ness by the age of 10 years.
@ Were the French spoliation claims
ever paid?-F. r. D.
A. French spoliation claims were de-
mands upon the United States Gov
ernmcnt By American merchants for
losses Of ships and cargoes between
1898 ami 1900 at the hands of the
French whose chief excuse for the dep
reGations was that the United States
had violated is pledges to France under
the treaty of l778. BY the treaty of
September 80, 1900, and by the con-