Evening star., 1939-10-06
Huskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
BY Frederic J. Hdsktn.

~ NeuOeTS questions
By Frederic J. Hasktn.
reader can get the ansuer to anr
question OF fact by ,mittng The Epe.
nt110 Star Information Bureau, Fred.
eric J. Hdsktn. director, WASHINGTON.
d. c. Please trclose stamp for replv,
Q. How large is Germsny's air feet?-
L. j. H.
A. Latest estimates place the number
OF German planes Of all types, includ.
ing reserves, at 10000.
Q. How many banks are insured bv
the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp2-
A. D. T.
A. At the end of 1898 there were l7,1s3
banks insured by that organization.
Q. Was Marconi the famous inventor,
a Fascist?-C. j. D.
A. He Joined the Fascist party In 1923
and became firm friend of Mussolini.
who appointed him q member Of the
Fascist Grand Council.
Q. Who discovered the Midway
1slands?-E. w. R.
A. They were discovered on July s,
1859, by Capt. N. c. Brooks of the Amer
ican-owned Hawaiian bark, Gambler,
who took possession in the name of the
United States Capt. Reynolds, in the
U. S. s. Lackawanna, took possession
formally on August %, 1867.
@. When was Mark Twain's "A Dogs
Tale" first published?-T. NJ B.
A. 1t was first published in Harper's
Magazine in December, 1903. Subse-
quently it was privately printed by the
National iVivisection Society. In
1904 Harper's brought out the story In
book form.
@. Is 1t correct to use the word drapes
IN referring to draperies?-S LF.
A. The abbreviation is not in good
usage.
@. What country leads in chemistry?
IT. j. H.
A. Prof. E. j. Crane of Ohio State Uni
versity, editor of Chemical Abstracts has
reported that the United States leads the
world in chemistry. Germany has
dropped to third place and Great Britain
to second. Prof. Cranes report is based
on an analysis of $1,000 chemical dis
coveries.
@. Is there tree in Africa that is used
of iunc L,,,ri
K. D.
A. In Abyssinia and other parts of AZ
rica, the baobab tree is often used as
tomb and due to some property of the
wood bodies placed therein become num-
mified.
Q. What is the population of Ru-
mania?-W. J. D.
A. The population Of Rumania is esti-
mated at approximately 2O,300,OOO.
Q. When did Edward Box offer a
peace award?-C. j.. H.
A. In 1928 the philanthropist founded
the American Peace Award, Offering
100000 for the most practicable plan
to establish and preserve the peace of
the world.
@. Does the term gifted children, as
used by educators, refer to a special tai
ent or general intelligence?-M. WI.
A. AS now used the term is equivalent
to exceptionally intelligent.
@. What became of Amundsen's sloop,
the Gjoa, in which he negotiated the
Northwest Passage?-H. j.. r.
A. In 1909 the explorer presented the
ship to the city of San Francisco, where
she has since been on exhibition in Gold
en- Gate Park. The vessel is soon to be
repaired and put in shipshape order.
Q. Which is the longest term of office
in the Government, aside from judges?
It. w. M.
A. The Controller General of the
United States and the Assistant Con-
troller General have the longest tenure.
They hold Office for IS years.
O. How long has Dr. Henry Noble Mac.
Cracken been president of Vassar?-J.
G. ].
A. The famous educator is now enter
ing his twenty-flfth year as president of
that institution.
@. Who organized the Foreign Policy
Association?-B. E. p.
A. The Foreign Policy Association was
founded on April %, 1918. At the initia-
tive of Paul Kellogg, 10 writer's, editors,
educators and laymen gathered in New
York to consider the role America might
play in the postwar world They Or
ganized a committee, which shortly
afterWard took the name of the Com
mittee on American Policy in Interna-
tional Relations. Norman Hapgood. the
first chairman, was later succeeded by
James G.. Mcdonald. Prof Charles A.
Beard was chairman of the Program.
Committee, while Charles P. Rowland,
Arthur Gleason, Prof. Joseph P. Cham
berlain (the present chairman of the
Board Of Directors) and others took an
active part in formulating statement
OF principles which they hoped might
serve as basis for stable peace.
@. What are banana figs?-E. T.
A. They are ripe bananas which have
been preserved by sprinkling with suga.
and drying in the sun.
@. What are the most popular forms
of recreation?-G. K. N.