Evening star., 1934-03-30
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

q. Please give the names and ages
Of the Dali children who are living at
the White House.-C. r. O.
A. Anna Eleanor Dali (Eistie) Is
years old, and Curtis Roosevelt Dali
(Bu1zie) is 3.
Q. What is the purpose Of the As
ISOLATION Of Professional Ball Players
Of America?-L p.
A. It Is designed to furnish assist
ance to ball players and umpires
when through age, illness or certain
other emergencies, they are without
income and in actual distress.
Q. Who wrote Maryland. My Mary
1and"?-C. M.
A. The words were written by James
r. Randall Of Baltimore, who was
working on the Sunday Delta, in New
Orleans. He wrote it one night. about
1861, after reading about the street
fighting in his native city. 1t was
adapted to the old German tune, Tan
nebaum, by q Miss Carey Of Balti-
more.
@. Please give . brief biography of
Premier Doumergue of France.-C. c.
A. CASTOR Doumergue was born at
Aigues-Vives in Gard TO years ago.
He served in the colonial service in
Cochin China and first entered the
Chamber Of Deputies in 1893. Dur
ing the past 40 years he has served
in various cabinet posts and was pre-
mier from December. 1918, to May,
1914. He Is a Protestant.
@. How much fossil earth Is used
commercially in this country? What
is 1t used for?-L. E. H.
A. approximately 10000 to 100, 900
tons are used in the United States an
nually. 1t is used partly as a flltering
aid in the flltering Of sugar sirups-
practically all Of the sugar used In
this country being filtered with this
agent. 1t is used also as heat in
sulator and as filler for the hard
rubber used in making storage bat
gether, about three or four hundred
different uses.
@. What kinds of questions cannot
be handled by your information bu-
reau?-P. Men.
A. It Is not equipped to give opin-
ions about anything. That Is the
province Of specialists. Lawyers give
legal opinions, physicians give medi-
cal advice, but this bureau confines
itself to statements of fact. Ask any
question of fact, write plainly, and
send coin or stamp for reply. Ad-
dress Frederic J. Haskin, director
Washington, D. c.
@. When did the Western Union
begin to send money by telegraph
D. P.
A. It inagurated money order serv-
ice for transferring money by tele-
graph in 1870. Now s275 .o00, 900 in
$500 900 orders are transferred an
nually.
@. What is George Arliss' real
name?-J. r.
A. George Augustus Andrews.
@. Please tell something of the talk
ing books which are being made for
the blinds. M. C.
A. The talking books are sound
records played on a reproducing ma
chine. Three machines have been de-
veloped, all Of which are portable
They will be sold by the American
Foundation for the Blind at $40, SAC
and $50. The records are light. but
substantial enough to be sent through
the mail. They play l8 minutes to
the side. The Library of Congress is
working on plans which will make il
possible to borrow talking books
wherever Braille books are available
BY the end of the year it is expected
that 5000 Of the talking machines
will be available
Q. Does the United States expor,
many agricultural products?-T. J.
A Half of the cotton, more than q
third of the tobacco, and nearly one
fifth Of the wheat produced in the