Evening star., 1934-01-10
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The resources Of our free Information
Bureau are at your service. You are
invited to call upon 1t as often as you
please. It Is being maintained solely to
serve you. What question can we an
swer for you? There Is no charge at
all except two cents in coin or stamps
| for return postage. Do not use post
caris. Address your letter to The
Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic j. Haskin, Director, Washing
| ton, D. c.
@. How long does it take to fly from
| Croydon to Paris?-F. c. c.
A. The trip by air from Croydon,
England, to LIE ,Bourget, France. takes
, two and one-half hours.
@. Has the Finnish barque Parma
| been heard from since it was believed
| lost?-G. K. E.
! A. The latest Lloyd's list states that
| the steamer Avellona Star on her way
from Buenos Aires to London, on No
vember IL, was in wireless communi-
cation with the Finnish barque
Parmo, whose captain reported all well
on board. She was nearing the equator
at the time. Parma sailed from Eng
land on October or 7 for Australia
in order to take part in the annual
grain race from there next Spring.
@. Does the Government make any
grants of money to support the Red
| Cross?-A. w. B.
A. The Federal Government does not
directly or indirectly, appropriate
money to support the American Red
Cross.
@. How many members has the Ma
tional Grange? Who started it?-L
w. J.
A There are altogether about 5000
| local units of the organization in the
| United States, with total membership
of about 100000. The first chapter Of
the National Grange to be founded was
Potomac Grange, No. /, organized in
Washington, D. c., as a school of in
struction on agricultural subjects and
farming. This chapter appeared on jan
uary 8, 1868, about three months before
the first working grange in the field
-Fredonia Grange, No. l, Fredonia. N.
/ Y, which was organized April 16, 1868
Mr. Oliver Hudson Kelly was the pro-
moter of the idea, and the Washington
enterprise did SO well that he deter
mined TO carry it to the country, which
he did with great success.
/ @. Do orchids grow from seed?-
NJ. H.
A. They do, but the seeds are so small
that it takes thirty thousand Of them to
weigh as much as single grain OF
wheat. The growing Of orchids is a
very delicate operation and it IS from
seven to ten years before the first
bloom appears.
| @. Please give a list of the ten most
charming people in the world.-T. w.
| A. A list, selected by Miss Margery
Wilson, charm expert, is as follows:
President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roose-
welt, DR. Albert Einstein, Lady Nancy
Astor, Mrs Calvin Coolidge, Mrs. Emily
| Post, Prince of Wales, Queen of Siam,
Mussolini and Ed Wynn.
Q. What is the purpose of the Gren-
! fell Mission in Labrador?-W. j. w.
A. To borrow current phrase, to
minister to human needs. Sir Wilfred
Grenfell is a physician who went as a
medical missionary into the Labrador
district many years ago. Social work.
ers now accompany him each year.
@. Have the mineral elements in the
Dead Sea been exploited commercial
| ly?-W. w.
A. A company has been formed for
recovering several valuable chemicals
from the waters of the Dead Sea. The
extraction Of pure potash by this COM
pany is reported to have grown from
$500 tons in 1881 to approximately
1000 tons in 1882 Magnesium bro
mide is produced at the rate of ton
day. 1t is said that 30 per cent
| potassium chloride which was recently