Evening star., 1938-05-17
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKlN.


reader cdn get the answer to any
question OF fact by Drittng The EDe.
ming Star Information Bureau, Frederic
J. Haskin, Director, Washington, D. C.
Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. Who said that nothing Is certain
but death and taxes?-E. F. L.
A. Benjamin Franklin said. Our Con.
stitution Is in actual operation: every
thing appears to promise that it will
last; but in this world nothing is cer-
tain but death and taxes"
@. What size hat and shirt does Presi.
dent Roosevelt wear?-J. o. B.
A. President Roosevelt wears q size
" hat and 16lz shirt.
@. In what kind Of speedboat did
sir Malcolm Campbell make his record
at Lake Maggiore?-F. K. B.
A. The Bluebird, in which Sir Nal.
colin Campbell made record Of 1295
statute miles per hour, is % feet in
designed length and is powered with a
Viz Rolls Royce aero motor OF SO lltres
piston displacement, delivering between
1000 and $500 horsepower. She was
designed by Fred Cooper.
@. Do sea lilies belong to the vegetable
or animal kingdom?-L. r.
A. They belong to the animal kingdom
and are related to the starflsh.
@. What plays are being produced
without any scenery?-E. w. r.
A. "Our Town." THE Cradle Will
Rock" and Julius Caesar" are plays Of
the season without scenery.
@. What is the elevation of the Sky.
line drive in Virginia?-C. B. S.
A. The elevation of the Skyline drive
varies from $500 feet to $500 feet. The
highest point is at Skyland which Is 10
miles south of Panorama, Va.
@. How much money has the Red
Cross given to aid war sufferers in
Spaln?-L. w.
A. Funds sent by the American Red
Cross to aid Spain total S99,479 to date.
These were grants of SAL coo for Ameri.
cans stranded in Spain; s50,000 to the
International Red Cross Committee for
its work there; $4,000 for relief Of Basque
refugee children in France; $4,000 for
children in Spain and the sum OF Sl,479
contributed by the public.
@. What was the first newspaper In
Providence, r. I.?-R. c.
A. On October 20. 1862, William God
dard brough out volume I, No. l, of the
towns first newspaper, the Providence
Gazette; and Country Journal.
O. Is horseshoe pitching recognized as
an official sport?-W. c. G.
A. 1t was officially recognized in the
United States for the first time by the
American Athletic Union in 1887.
O. What is sin eater?-S. F. l..
A. A sin eater is a person hired to eat
the sins of one who has just died. The
practice used to be common In England.
A piece of bread was placed on the
breast of the corpse. This the sin eater
devoured and, supposedly. with it, the
former occupants sins. The rite has
been known as recently as 1893 In Shrop-
shire in England and still is followed in
parts of Bavaria and the Balkans.
@. What is the speed OF tank when
used in battle?-E. F.
A. A battle speed Of 1920 miles per
hour is considered most desirable.
@. When was barbed wire drst NADER
e. H.
A. The first barbed wire was made in
1873 by Joseph F. Glidden Of DeKalb.
H.; patent No. 157124 was secured on it
on November "a, 1874.
O. What educational organization has
the largest membership?-R. P.
A. The National Geographic Society.
with world membership of 100000, is
the largest educational organization.
@. Does Hitler smoke?-J. w.
A. He does not smoke and smoking IS
not permitted in his presence.
@. How many potatoes are raised IN
the world?-W. j. H.
A. The 1897 potato crop in 81 principal
producing countries was 5,l03, ,796,0OO
bushels as estimated by the Information
al Institute Of agriculture.
@. What State observes fast day?-W.
H. G.
A. New Hampshire has observed fast
day as an annual holiday since 1851.
@. How many people died of the flu
during 1918-19?-R. C..
A. The United States Public Health
Service says there were approximately
500 900 deaths in the United States from
the FLU" epidemic during the years
1888.
O. Who is the 1888 American Mother?
H. G. G.
A. Mrs Grace Noll Crowell of Dallas,
Tex, was selected by the Golden Rule
Foundation of New York City as the
ideal American Mother of 1888. She is
the author of numerous poems and is the
mother of three sons.
@. How many radio sets are there in
the United States?-F. M.
A. It is estimated that there are 3d.
100000 sets in use in this country.
Weather and War.
From the Indianapolis Star.
The rain now threatens to do to Japan
in China what the snow did to Napoleon
in Russia.