NEW YORK, Tuesday—I went up to the country yesterday for a short time and found the road deep in mud, work going on in the house, and the general aspect so desolate and dreary I had one of those bursts of depression which I think we all probably have at times about our wordly possessions. I wished I did not own anything anywhere!

After a short time I realized that when you are not on hand yourself things are apt to go awry, but even today I am not quite sure that it is worthwhile possessing anything except such things as can be kept constantly by you.

I came back to New York City to attend a meeting of the Chi Omega Award Committee. This award is given to some woman who has, during the year, made a notable contribution in her field of work. I am always surprised to find how many people there are from whom to choose. Women are really making their mark every year in more and more numerous fields of endeavor and there are more and more women in executive positions. After the meeting, at which it was decided to whom we should offer the reward, was over, we sat down to luncheon. The reward will be given this coming spring at a ceremony in the White House such as we had two years ago.

The five other women who were able to attend the meeting are all able women in their own fields and it interested me greatly to have an opportunity to hear them talk on a wide range of subjects. Naturally, all these women are concerned with world affairs as they touch the economic, scientific, artistic, and educational fields. Rather to my surprise, I found the majority of women present thought young people today are far more interested in public affairs than ever before. This is due largely, of course, to economic pressure, and sometimes because of a better conception of what citizenship in a democracy means today.

This rather confirms my own observation and I am glad that they think this is so. We all agreed, however, that youth would tackle the most serious problems with an idea that they could be solved next week, which gives them a kind of debonnaire courage lacking, because of our own sad experiences, in most of us who are older. That is as it should be, for nothing would ever happen if one couldn't have more hope of accomplishing miracles in the twenties than one has in the forties!

Several people I have seen today have asked me about the new position which our son, James, has taken. He, himself, seems glad to have a chance to work at something which promises less strain and yet a great deal of real interest.

I am off in a few minutes to the dinner at the Hotel Astor for the support of the Leon Blum Colony in Palestine.