NEW YORK, Wednesday—When as sound a businessman as James W. Gerard, who also is a heavy stockholder in the steel companies, advises these same companies, as reported in the press, to accept the pension plan proposed by the unions, I think the time has come for these industrial leaders to take a deep breath and face the realities of the situation they are in today.

They may have the power and the ability to live through the struggle such as they are now precipitating, but they will not earn either the respect or the affection of the people of the United States who are interested not only in their own welfare but in the welfare of the people of the world as a whole.

It must be extremely difficult for the Roman Catholic Bishops in Czechoslovakia to find a formula by which it is possible to swear allegiance "to the people's democratic regime of this country." If the oath of allegiance which they take is acceptable to the regime with the qualifications as printed in the press, either the Communist regimes are now acknowledging the supremacy of the laws of God over the government or else they are accepting defeat at the hands of the priests.

In reading the reports here it is difficult to tell who has really knuckled under—the bishops or the Communist leaders of the government. I surmise that the people have been so unhappy at the jailing of so many of their spiritual leaders that it was deemed wiser in some government circles to make some conciliatory gestures.

After more speeches than have been called forth by any subject in Committee 3 we passed at yesterday afternoon's session the resolution of the Economic and Social Council continuing certain social services with approximately the same amount of money appropriated as was available last year.

Some countries felt that we should go into the detail of suggesting that consideration be given by the Economic and Social Council to the establishment of schools in certain countries where the need for social services was great. This would make it possible for the necessary personnel to be trained on the spot, where it was felt there was no chance under the fellowship program to train enough people by sending them out of the country to gain their experience.

The majority of the committee, however, felt that this was going too much into detail and should be decided by those administering the program. Therefore, it was not included in the resolution. Since the Economic and Social Council was asked to take into consideration both the discussions and suggestions made during the deliberations in Committee 3, there is no doubt that those administering this program will consider these ideas.

I drove in from Lake Success on Tuesday afternoon with a very delightful gentleman, William H. Richardson, who is head of the Public Health Service in North Carolina, and one of the head nurses in this service, a Miss Reynolds.

It was good to get news from them of the Daniels family and to hear Mr. Richardson's report on the advances made in North Carolina. They have appropriated a very large sum of money this year for certain programs that will be of special value to children in the health field. They also are adding to their road program. This is very important in the South. It means greater ease in getting children to and from schools and in making accessible to the rural areas certain advantages of the nearby towns.