Evening star., 1934-01-04
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

ments, Great Britain Cancelled . large
proportion Of the debts due her. The
extent of cancellation ranged from o
minimum of 81 per cent in the case
Of France to q maximum Of Sc per
cent in the case Of Italy.
@. Which rear automobile wheel
turns faster on a curve2-B. P. p.
A. The Bureau Of Standards informs
us that its answer was incorrectly
stated and offers the following explana-
ton: All automobiles are 5Fc7Tded with
an arrangement Of gears, known as the
diherential, through which the power
W Wheeis. a'fs By this this me means % each CIV Wheel Is
allowed to revolve in exact proportion
to the distance covered, so that no
slipping is necessary while rounding o
curve, in which case the outside wheel
necessarily covers a greater distance
than the inside wheel.
@. When was "The Man Without q
Country" first published?-G. w.
A. It appeared in 1858.
@. How many kinds Of insects are
there in the world?-G. L. j.
A. This is not known definitely. Prob
ably there are between 100000 and
1O, ,O0O, 900 species. The number already
described is about CSC, 1000. EntomologistS
have been studying and describing In
sects at an average rate Of 5000 a year
for the last 166 years. Recently new
kinds of insects have been described at
rate of about 5000 per year, but even
at this rate 1t will take at least 500
years to complete the task Of describing
all Of the kinds believed by specialists
actually to exist.
@. Was Empress Marie Louise .
linguiSt?-N. T. T.
A. The second wife Of Napoleon spoke
five languages and was familiar with
several others.
@. What is the principle upon which
smoke is eliminated to make cities
| A. The principle involved is that Of
mixing air with the combustible vapors
and gases generated by the action Of
heat on fuel, so that by virtue Of q
due supply of oxygen at the correct
temperature they may be made to burn
with flame and become entirely con-
verted into incombustible and invisible
vapors and gases.
@. Is Mount Vernon open on Sun.
day?-M. r.
A. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Asso.
ciation recently announced that here.
after Mount Vernon will be open from
2 to pm. on Sunday. In the past
tradition, which has existed since the
days OF George Washington, banned
| Sunday visitors to the estate Only
once before has the rule been set aside,
and that on only one day, March S,
1888, when thousands Of visitors to the
inauguration were allowed to enter.
@. What is the sugar and acid con-
tent OF grapefruit?-M. S.
A. The Bureau Of Plant Industry says
| that grapefruit in the midseason pick
were found to contain a total amount of
sugar by weight of 51a per cent to 6la
per cent: about 80 per cent water, and
| acid calculated as citric content of only
per cent. The sugar and acid con-
tent would be a little higher with
greater maturity.
@. How was the body Of John Paul
Jones embalmed SO that 1t was possible
to identify it more than one hundred
years later?-I. S.
A. Admiral John Paul Jones died at
the age of IS In Paris. Through the
generous act Of foreign admirer, his
body was preserved by being placed in
a lead casket filled with alcohol and
buried in cemetery in the outskirts of
Paris. When removed in 1905, the body
was found to be well preserved and
positive Identification was possible.
@. What does the Indian word Ia
koma mean?-W. j. K.
A. It means snow-capped mountain.