Evening star., 1934-11-28
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

antiquity. In the recent excavations
Of Nineveh, lenses were found which
are believed to date to the seventh
century B. c. The Emperor Nero
used a concave jewel (smaragdus) to
assist his sight. Benjamin Franklin
invented bifocals. From the context
OF letter addressed To George What
ley of London, dated May %, 1785, it
may be inferred that he invented
them before he went to France, which
was in the latter part Of l776.
@. Why Is lb. used as an abbrevia-
ton of pound?-G. S.
A. The abbreviation ID. is derived
from the Latin word, libra, which
means pound.
@. Why is Guilio Gatti- Casazza TO
retire as manager Of the Metropolitan
Opera Co.?-F. D.
A. Mr.. Gatti-Casazza will retire in
April because of his age and the CON
tinued and exhausting hardships" Of
his work.
Q. How many embassies and lega-
tions does the United States own out
A. The United States Government
now towns % embassy and legation
buildings at the following capitals:
| Tirana, Albania; Buenos Aires, Ar
gentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Ot-
tawa, Canada; Santiago, Chile; Peip-
ing. China; San Jose, Costa Rica; Ha-
vana, Cuba; Prague, Czechoslovakia;
Paris. France; London. England:
Toxic, Japan; Rome, Italy; Mexico
| City, Mexico; Managua, Nicaragua;
| Oslo, Norway; Panama, Panama;
| Teheran, Persia; San Salvador, El
Salvador; Bangkok, Siam; Istanbul,
Turkey; Tangier, Morocco. This last
mission ranks as a legation, although
| Tangier is not the capital of Morocco.
but a city having an international
status.
@. What volume Of business is
done in the automobile retailing line?
R. c.
A. The automobile retailing busi-
ness approximates $6,ooO,ooooOO an
nually.
@. What are the duties Of the chan
! cellor of the exchequer in England?
M. E. r.
A. The duties Of the chancellor Of
| the exchequer are concerned with the
collection of revenues and the man.
agement of the funds accumulated.
The chancellor Of the excheQuer Of
England holds a position similar to
the Treasurer Of the United States.
| There is a difference between this
and Secretary Of the Treasury who
corresponds to the director of the
Finance Department of England.
@. Please give some information on
the ice flows in the Atlantic and Pa
cific Oceans. A. T.
A. Most Of the icebergs Of the North
Atlantic come from Greenland and
reaching the current that flows along
the western shore of Baffin Bay, are
carried out through Davis Strait into
the Labrador current, which finally
brings them to the region OF the
| Grand Banks. Antarctic icebergs are
carried northward by currents and
may at times drift below latitude
40' S. The Northern Pacific is desti-
tute Of feeding grounds for icebergs.
O. OF what nature was the organiZa-
ton known as the Readjustors?-E. F.
A. This was a political faction
formed from the Democratic party Of
Virginia in 1878. Its formation was
due to a bill which passed the State
Legislature in March of that year for
refunding the State debt. The party
was led by William Malone and was
violently opposed to the payment Of
the debt. In 1879 and 1881 by
fusion with the Republicans they
gained control of the State govern
ment and sent William Malone to the
United States Senate.