Evening star., 1935-03-12

A reader can get the GnsUer, to
any question OF fact by Uriting The
Washington Epenirg Star Information
Bureau, Frederic j. Haskin, Director,
Washington, D. c. Please inclose
stamp for reply.
@. How long does a post office send
mail to a forwarding address?-C.
r. w.
A. The Postal Regulations say that
unlimited requests for the forwarding
Of mail to other post offices shall be
observed for q period of two years,
unless revoked, except that such re-
quests affecting general delivery mail
at city delivery post offices shall ex-
pire at the end Of 30 days unless re-
newed.
@. What Is q Nansen passport?
Why so called?-C. w. r.
A. After the Soviet revolution IN
1917, White Russians were unable TO
obtain passports, since the Czarist
government no longer existed. To
solve this problem, several nations
have issued, through the auspices Of
the League of Nations, an 1nterna-
tional passport for the benefit of per-
sons without home governments.
These are called Nansen passports in
memory Of the great Norwegian states
man and philanthropist, Frietjof
Nansen.
Q. Are Negroes making more rapid
progress now than they were shortly
after they were freed?-W. r. r.
A. According to the Negro Year
Book, within the last 20 years the
Negro has made more strides forward
than In the previous so years. There
are $50 periodicals published by or
for Negroes; 81 Negro banks with re-
sources of over s20,000,0O0 and volume
OF business more than $4,000, 900;
more than 10000 Negroes engaged in
their own business; 100000 farms
operated by Negroes; 100000 homes
owned; accumulated wealth estimated
at $4,000, 100000.
@. Is there a tablet at West Point
which bore the name of Benedict Ar
nold?-C. D.
A. There is a tablet to Benedict Ar
mold in the Old Chapel at West Point.
The best information available indi-
Gates that the tablet was placed on
the east wall Of the Old Chapel, tinme-
diately above the choir rail. 1t is OF
black marble and similar in pattern
to those perpetuating the memory OF
our Revolutionary heroes. On the
tablet appears in gilt letters the words
Major General" Immediately under
meath the name has apparently beer
chiseled out. On the line below ap-
pears Born 1740." The date of death
is also apparently chiseled out. How
when or by whom these changes were
made is not a matter of record anc
cannot be ascertained.
@. How does Maundy Thursday ge'
its name?-D. T.
A. 1t is a contraction Of the Latir
dies mandati-the day of Christ's grea
mandate, "a new commandment givt
I unto you, that ye love one another.
Q. Where did gypsies originated
A. S.
A. Scientific men have come to the
conclusion that these wanderers are
neither Of European nor Of African
origin, but are remnant Of some
obscure Indian tribe. This ethnolog
ical conclusion is borne out by the
fact that their language IS un-
doubtedly derived from the Sanskrit
although intermingled with Oriental
terms and infections appear words
of Greek, Slavic, Rumanian, Magyar
German, French and English origin
Q. How thick is the steel gate al
Boulder Dam?-C. N.
A. The maximum thickness is 121z
feet.
O. Why are buttons put on the
back of mans tail coat?-G. E.
A. The use Of buttons on the back
of mems coats goes back to the time
when men rode horseback and also
wore swords. The coat was slit at the
back so that the tail could fall con-