Evening star., 1939-09-02
Answers
To Questions
By Frederic J. HdsEtn.

redder can get the dnsuer to anu
question OF tact by ,rrtttng The Epe.
ming Star Information Bureau. Fred.
eric J. Hdskin, director, Washington,
d. c. Please tnclose stamp for reply.
@. With what countries does the
United States have trade sgreements7
H. B. s.
A. Cuba, Brazil, Belgium, Haiti, swe-
den, Colombia, Honduras the Neither
lands, Switzerland. Nicaragua, Guate-
mala, France. Finland, Costa Rica, Ell
Salvador Ecuador, the United Kingdom,
Canada and Turkey. There was for
merly an agreement with Czecho-Slo-
vakia, but this has been terminated.
@. Please define the art term shiaro-
scuro.-L. M.
A. 1t is the handling of light and shade
in painting. The word comes from the
Italian words meaning light and dark.
Correggio and Rembrandt rank among
the great masters Of the art OF chiaro-
scuro.
Q. How large is the Lilly family, which
holds its reunions in West Virginia?-
c. K.
A. The Lilly Family Reunion Associa-
ton consists Of approximately $4,000 de-
scendants of Robert and Mary Lilly,
early settlers In West Virginia 1t is
claimed that its annual family reunion
is the largest held in the United States.
@. Is there an animal called a vole?
II. M. H.
A. Vole is an English name for several
species of small rodents belonging to the
rat family, particularly the water vole
and the field vole. Water voles have
small ears, short tails and use only the
hind legs in swimming. They are about
the size of a brown rat. The field voles
have stumpy tails thick bodies and are
about the size of common mice. They
do great damage to the grain crops
@. Where was the first legislative as
sembly In what is now the United States?
Il. r. H.
A. The first legislative assembly in the
ANNW WI III LlCL az OdUlCSlONll, va, Oll
July 80, 1919.
@. What makes cement get hard?-
P. J. S.
A. The hardening of cement Is due
chiefly to the decomposition Of the COM
pounds of lime upon the addition Of
water, resulting in the formation of CAL
cium hydrate, which on crystallization
binds together the other solid ingredi-
ents. The initial setting is due princi-
pally to the decomposition Of the alumni
mates, while the final hardening depends
more upon the action of the silicates.
O. How long is Robert Browning's
poem, The Ring and the Book" 7-H.
w. M.
A. 1t consists of 2O,s34 lines. 1t tells
u times, from as many points of view,
the tale Of murder committed in Italy
in 1898.
c. Do wrens mate for life?-G. P.
A. On the contrary. the male of the
house wren has been known to take two
mates in rapid succession, and thus to
rear two families almost simultaneously.
One pair may remain mated for q sum-
mer, but they may mate with different
birds in succeeding years, and also
change mates frequently for second and
third broods of the same season.
@. Did Lillian Nordica, the singer, die
in this country?-T. G..
u,ila aooora5 u, , u,orId {o,~
contracted pneumonia from exposure in
a shipwreck and died at Batavia, Java.
in 1914.
@. How many miles of water front has
New York City?-L. M H.
A. Approximately 578 miles.
@. Please give the inscription on the
Tomb Of the Unknown Soldier in West
minister Abbey, London.-J. r. J.
A. The inscription is as follows: Be
meath this stone rests the body of Brit
ish warrior, unknown by name or rank
Brought from France to lie among the
most illustrious of the land, and buried
here on Armistice Day, November IL,
1920 in the presence of his majesty, King
George V, ministers of state, the chiefs
of the forces and vast number of the
nation. Thus are commemorated the
many multitudes who during the Great
War of 1914-1918 gave the most that man
can give, life itself for God, for king and
country, to loved ones, home and empire,
to the sacred cause of justice and the
freedom of the world. They buried him
among the kings because he had done
good toward God and toward his house"
@. How does Germany's area now COM
pare with that 20 years agoP-W. M. j.
A. The area of Germany in 1919 was
81,500 square miles In March 1899,
the area was estimated at 25SOOO square
miles.
@. Did George Washington have a
godfather?-L. l.. NJ
A. The godfathers of George Wash
ington were Beverly Whiting and Capt.
Christopher Brooks. His godmother was
Mildred Gregory his fathers sister.
@. How much water does tree abb
sorb through it's leaves?-M. l.. w.
A. A large tree may absorb and dis
charge through its leaves as much as 80
gallons of water on a single hot day.
Transportation. one of the vital processes
taking place in all green things, literally
pours water in vapor form through the
leaf pores all summer long. Unless the