WASHINGTON, Tuesday—Yesterday, in New York City, was a busy day spent almost entirely on personal things. I had an interesting talk with a young Korean woman, married to an American citizen, who has been promoting an organization among the women of her community which she thinks would be of value in many other communities.

Her hope was that I would head up this organization on a nationwide basis, but I feel very strongly that everything that is done should originate in a community need and, therefore, should enlist the interest and activity of the people in a particular community. National plans smack too much of something handed down from the top. Though I think it is well when something valuable is done in any community to have it given wide publicity so that other communities with the same needs may adopt it, I think it is a mistake to try to start any new national organizations at this time.

I was interested in an appeal which I received the other day. It was from one of the community organizations in my home state. They explained that they felt benefits and large mass meetings should be the methods used to raise money for the extraordinary war activities. That the usual community organizations, both charitable and civic, should obtain their support simply by reminding their subscribers of the need in the community. I think this theory is excellent and hope that we shall prove good enough citizens to put it into practice successfully.

I meant to find time to go to see an exhibition of paintings at the Grand Central Fifth Avenue Galleries in the Hotel Gotham yesterday, while in New York City. These are paintings of New England by Robert Strong Woodward. Since I know so much of the countryside he paints, I looked forward with great pleasure to seeing them. Unfortunately, I did not get there and the exhibition closes on the 14th of March, and I cannot be in New York City again until the 15th. This is a real disappointment and I hope he will hold another exhibition somewhere else before long.

We came back to Washington this morning by train in order to do as much work as possible on the way, and now I am about to keep a few appointments here.

If you do not subscribe to the Galesburg, Illinois Post, you may want to do so. One of the best war columns I've read was in it, written by Carl Sandburg.