Evening star., 1940-07-06
Hoskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
By Frederic J. Haskin.

oy rTCueTC y. HuSkW.
A reader can get the answer to any
question OF fact by Drtting The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. G. Please inclose stamp for reply.
O.. What sports activities has the Reg
ular Army to offer prospective recruit?
e. j. D.
A. The same as those of the typical
American college-football, baseball,
basketball, track and field events.
@. Would you please suggest soms
gifts for first wedding anniversary
M. r. F.
A. Among gifts appropriate to offer
on the paper anniversary are stationery,
books, subscriptions to magazines,
scrolls, missals, framed poetry broad
sides, prints Of famous paintings, etch-
ings and water colors.
@. What is the present political make
up of the Congress?-H. T.
A. The Senate now has 50 Democrats,
% Republicans, 2 Farmer Labor, / Pro-
gressive and l Independent. In the
House there are 26o Democrats, 1853 Re-
publicans, l Farmer-Labor, 2 Progress
sives, American Labor and vacancies.
O. How many miles did the Big
Bertha of the World War shoot?-D. M.
A. The Paris gun used by the Germans
during the World War had a possible
maximum range of 795 miles.
@. In early Christian art, what SYM
bolism attached to simple dots?-I H. S,
A. They represented drops of blood.
O. How old is veneering?-M. A.
A. Veneering is an art at least $500
years old. The finest cabinetmakers and
designers have used it. A veneer is a
thin leaf of beautifully grained wood
applied to panel or frame of cheaper
wood. Rosewood, satinwood, curly and
bird's-eye maple, walnut and mahogany
are among the woods frequently en-
ployed.
@. When was Dixie" composed? Was
1t Confederate song?-W. S.
A. The song Dixie" was "a walk
around composed by Daniel Emmett
for Bryant's Minstrels in 1889 It's first
use as song by the Confederacy oc-
CURED at the Inauguration of President
Jefferson Davis February 10, 1861.
@. How many theaters are there in
New York City?-H P.
A. Over 40 legitimate theaters and 300
motion picture houses.
O. Who was Peggy Eaton?-B. P.
A. Peggy Eaton, the wife of Mai J. H.
Eaton, Jackson's Secretary of War, is
better known as Peggy ONeil. The
beautiful daughter of a Washington
tavern keeper, young widow, she mar
ried Senator Eaton, who was later Secre-
tary of War in the cabinet of President
Jackson. Her appearance in official
circles was bitterly resented by the wives
of other officials and social disturbance
arose which resulted in an almost COM
plete reorganization of the cabinet, an
estrangement between John C. Calhoun
and jackson, which in turn probably led
to the nomination of Van Buren instead
of Calhoun to the presidency in 1868.
@. How many animals and plants are
there?-Z. B.
A. The number of individuals Of living
animals and plants Is so enormous that
even an estimate would be impossible.
There are approximately $4,000 species
of animals known, and about 250,oOO
species of existing plants. Of these,
100000 species of animals belong to one
group, the Arthropoda which includes
the insects while 10000 species of plants
are seed plants.
@. How many republics are now in
cluded in the Union of Soviet Socialist
| Republics?-R. P.
A. Twelve. The territory around Lake
Ladoga won by Russia from Finland in
the treaty of March 12 1910, was erected
into the new Finno-Karelian Soviet
Socialist Republic. The territory taken
from Poland by Russia had previously
been added to the Byelorussian and
Ukrainian Republics.
@. What Is snow surveying?-W. P.
A. This is term applied to the activ-
tiles of an army of more than 1000 men
which moves every winter over the high
mountain peaks of the West, measuring
sample snow depths to determine in ad-
vance how much water will flow down
Western streams through the following
season. The Department of Agriculture
has just issued new publication which
tells the story of snow surveys, and how
much they mean to Western irrigation,
@. How have the reindeer Jared which
were sent from Alaska to Canada in
1935?-C. r. B.
A. Canada's reindeer industry has
made satisfactory progress since the
original herd Of 2,370 animals was de-
livered from Alaska five years ago. The
increase of about 1900 fawns this year
in the main herd brings the number up
to 5000 In addition, there Is a native
herd Of 1000 about $50 miles east of the
main herd, along Canada's Arctic Coast,
This makes total of $500 reindeer now
in Canada.
@. What is the most common ground
for divorce?-E. w.
A. According to the latest statistics
cruelty and desertion were the most
con..non causes of divorce. Desertion.