Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-06-20
GOVERNMENT AGENCY
. ANSWERS QUESTIONS
Information Service Called
On by Many for Aid.

Observation-Disclosures by the ma
tional emergency council in March to
assist Washington visitors to thread
the D.aze of federal agencies and emer-
gency units, the United States inf0r-
nation service now answers questions
from far and near. Whereas previous
~, inquirers resorted to the trial and
error method, addressing queries to a
particular department. they now have
at hand an information central in
close touch with every department, bu-
reau, commission or other federal
agency, says the New York Times.
Directed by Miss Harriet NJ. Root, a
graduate of Wellesley, dozen expert
research workers, all women. answer
the queries which come in by personal
call, BY telephone and by letter. Not
infrequently one days mail will bring in
400 letters-each carrying one or. more
questions. On busy day, as many as
200 persons have. called at Miss Roots
office seeking general information, or as
sistance in contracting some federal
agency. i,
Cover Wide Range.
The queries cover an encyclopedia
range. A, New Jersey woman, for ex-
ample, having what she believed to
be ambergris in her possession, asked
where she could find out whether it
was genuine. Her question was re-
ferred to the bureau Of fisheries. Re-
guests for information on divining rods
and buried treasures go to the bureau
Of mines. A lawyer in New York asked
for list of all federal corporations
since the establishment of the United
States government request that ne
cessitated considerable research. An
other letter called for anything you
can find on capital and labor" In due
course, reply furnished references to
government publications on the subject.
docs bullet from a high-powered
rife actually. change its course when
entering water? If It does, why? And
IN what direction?" inquired another
correspondent. Here, obviously, was
an. opportunity for government ballistic
experts, to whom the query was for
warded. From a small town came a
request for a check on the source of
certain statements carried in an article
id a local newspaper. And a woman
with potatoes to sell sought the help
Of the service in finding the best mar
ket for them.
Many Personal Questions.
. Personal questions are numerous.
1.-The, widow Of a naval man who was
'nlost when ship went down in the
'nwar wanted guidance In preparing a
claim for compensation from the gov
'sernment. Another inquirer sought d.
rections on how to obtain medal for
ia child who had saved a playmate from
4. drowning. A father asked how he
, should go about finding for his son q
; billet i1 the merchant marine. And
/; whenever former Secretary of War
+, Newton d. Baker comes to town, the
I Information service invariably receives
B one or more calls for his Washington
address.
, Requests for information on federal
!, activities reflect the increased interest
j In public affairs, particularly in the
work of the New Deal agencies. The
national emergency council publishes
a daily manual, covering changes in
the federal setup. and also charts show.
ding graphically the present federal or
nganization. Both the manual and the
Tcharts are in great demand. Universe.
ties and schools and faculty members
send many requests. A California col.
Siege plans to use the NEG manual as
a. textbook; professor In a midwest.
ern university ordered 300 copies of
the chart Of the federal government.