Smash hit

Which countries have paid off their war debts to the US?

In 1918 Finland was the only country to repay its debts to America.

President Hoover visited the country to express his appreciation of this singular act of honesty and the money was used to finance scholarships for Finns to study in America.

J. A. Dukes, Oxford

Britain incurred huge debts compared with other countries in both the First and Second World Wars because it was sustaining the European war effort; in each postwar period, while it repaid debts at great cost to its economy, other debtors repaid little or nothing. This was a major factor in the UK’s pre-Thatcher economic decline.

M. Cunningham, Brisbane, Australia

Questions

Given the technology in the Star Wars universe, wouldn’t it be possible for Darth Vader’s suit to include a silent breathing apparatus?

Dave Angel, Hathersage

If an “expert” fails to predict a correct outcome, do they become a “non-expert”?

David Griffiths, Bromley, Kent

Where does the Universe end?

Alan Rolfe, Leeds

What is the origin of the term bog standard?

G. M. R. Smith, Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Did the primeval man and woman suffer from clinical depression or schizophrenia, or did we acquire psychiatric disorders as our civilisation evolved?

Sam Banik, London

Why do we have fingerprints? What is Mother Nature’s reason for fingerprints?

Arthur C. Grudfuttle

When were the last German PoWs released by the Russians and why did they hold them for so long?

Peter Durkin, Banbury

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