Evening star., 1933-11-10
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS =
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Fvs-

Did you ever write letter to Frederic
J. Haskin? You can ask him any ques-'
tion of fact and get the answer In
personal letter. Here is q great educa-
tional idea introduced into the lives Of
the most intelligent people In the world
American newspaper readers. 1t Is
part of that best purpose OF a news
paper-service. There is no charge ex-
cept 3 cents in coin or stamps for
return postage. Do not use post cards
Address Frederic ]. Haskin, Director,
The Evening Star Information Bureau,
Washington, D. G..
@. What was Mae Vests weight at
the time she made the picture, she
Done Him Wrong?"-E. G. q.
A. The Photoplay Magazine says that
Mae West weighed 119 pounds when she
made the motion picture.
O. Is kitten ball q popular sport IN
this country?-B. NJ. Y.
A. It is the same as playground base
ball and is popular all over the country.
In 1882, sos cities reported including
of activities; 292 reported Ala, ,46o dtf-
ferent individuals participating In the
game.
Q. Is radio under government control
In Canada?-C. j. P.
A. 1t is under government control to
the extent that news broadcastS are
restricted and advertising time must not
exceed per cent Of the program.
@. How did our Government acquire
the naval base at Guantanamo
J. H. D.
A. The Naval Training Station at
Guantanamo Is leased from Cuba at
$4,000 year, according to the terms of
the treaty signed in February, 1908.
The Government paid $102,o 900 in war
rants the first year so that no payment
is due for many years, since payment
was made in advance for 81 years.
@. What kind of a poison was used in
the ant traps at the White House?-
w. D. G.
A 1t consists of 1 pint Of water.
pound of sugar, 81 grains of thallium
sulphate and ounces Of honey, the
whole being thoroughly stirred and
brought almost to boil. Since thallium
sulphate is a powerful and insidious
poison, care should be taken not to
breathe the vapors given off by the
sirup as it is being prepared. The con-
tainer for this ant poison consists of
an ordinary pill box the interior of
which has been washed with a solution
of hot paraffin to make it watertight.
Four small sections of cardboard are
removed from the inner circular collar,
over which the top or cap of the pill
box fits. When the container Is in use,
the top of the pill box is partially raised
exposing four small openings where the
cardboard has been cut away, and
through these the ants can enter to
obtain the sirup. The contents Of
the box are protected by the cap from
dust and excessive evaporation and pet
animals are unlikely to be attracted to
such q closed container. The boxes
should be about two-thirds filled with
small pieces Of blotting paper, to which
is added a small quantity Of poisoned
sirup. The sirup may be renewed as
often as necessary.
@. What musical instrument is the
hardest to play?-J. F.
A. The violin of all instruments is the
most difficult to play and Is considered
by many to be the finest musical in
strument known to man.
@. What instinct does the homing
pigeon possess which brings it back to
its home?-H. r. C.
A. In the light of present knowledge
the homing instinct of the pigeon should
be considered as specialized form of
migration developed and exploited by
man through training and selective
breeding. Other factors contribute
largely to the effectiveness of the in
stinct and these are the qualities that
respond to systematic training. The
most important is an acute vision
coupled with a wonderful memory.
Q. When was Walter Reed Hospital
built?-J. H. F.
A. In 1905 Congress appropriated the
money to purchase the land for Walter
Reed Hospital In February of the fol-
lowing year an appropriation for the
construction of the hospital was made