...that have always intrigued you about the world will appear in this,
your section, and be answered by other readers. Please address
your answers and questions to ‘Curiosities’.

Where can I get good quality and cruelty- free belts, shoes and accessories?

Try the Animal Aid catalogue. Their address is 7 Castle Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 IBH, UK tel: (732) 364546. A company called Mocatan makes cruelty-free shoes, belts and accessories from Studio 205, 1-Mex Building, Sunbeam Street, Wolverhampton WV2 4NV, UK tel: (902) 21421. They can supply internationally and are also opening a shop at No 2 Darlay St, Soho, London. Robin Webb of 36 Gardiner St. Brighton, BNl lUN, UK produces non-leather handmade shoes and non-leather hiking boots can be got from Roger's Wares, 8 Atwell Road, Bradford, BD9 4AV, UK tel: (274) 483390. I know of two suppliers in the US. Heartland Products, Box 218, Dakota Way, Iowa 5052, US tel: (515) 332 3087. And Aesop Unlimited, Dept. 304. P0 Box 315, Cambridge MAO2 140, US tel: (617) 923 1704. Both supply cruelty-free belts, wallets and shoes. I don't know of any producers in Canada or Australasia.

Jane Miles,
Stockport, UK

What is the difference between 'child mortality rate' and
'infant mortality rate' - and why does it matter?

Child mortality rate refers to children under five - infant mortality to children under the one. Infant mortality correlates very closely to the degree of deprivation in a society - child mortality less closely so.

Dr J S Barrett,
London, UK

What is the origin of the term 'Left wing or 'Right wing'?

I have an idea that it dates back to the French revolution. Is this so? I believe that the terms Left-wing and Right-wing originate from a metaphysical debate involving the early nineteenth century German philosopher Friedrich Hegel. Those who sat on his left hand side took the materialistic view and were inclined to the concept of social progress. Those on the right did not.

Marc Burgess,
London, UK

What was the football war about?

In response to the replies from Jane Bertram (NI 227) and Robert Graham (NI 229) I would like to point out the real underlying causes of the 'War of the Dispossessed ' - as some authors have called the Football War. These were a long standing territorial dispute combined with the treatment of Salvadoran migrant workers in Honduras. In 1969 the Honduran Government was in economic and political difficulties so it decided to play the xenophobia card.

It tried to persuade Salvadorans, many of whom had lived and worked in Honduras for decades, to return to El Salvador. Local authorities and landlords pursued the campaign with zeal so that they could grab the vacated plots. Grossly exaggerated atrocity stories began to circulate in El Salvador which became overwhelmed by the influx of refugees with nowhere to go. It was in this atmosphere that the World Cup qualifying matches were played and the El Salvadoran army decided to use the opportunity to make a land grab.

Harry Noyes,
Committee for Human Rights in Honduras,
London, UK

Why do men have nipples?

Allen Wells,
Coventry, UK

Why do some cultures write from left to right, and others from right to left?

S Quinn,
Belton, UK

Why is it inadvisable - or dangerous - to allow victims of electrical torture
to take fluids until many hours after the ordeal?

M Morgans,
Preston, UK

What were the origins of the Geneva Convention?

B Hastings,
Rugby, UK.

Who was the world's longest surviving dictator?

Paul Wells,
Truro, UK.