NEW YORK, Thursday—On Tuesday, I found, as usual, my desk well covered with mail and I was glad of my early arrival in order to get a start.

At one o'clock, accompanied by Mr. John Golden, I went to lunch with Mrs. Robert Wagner at Gracie Mansion. Mrs. Wagner and Mr. Golden are New York City co-chairmen for United Nations Day (October 24). With his usual generosity Mr. Golden had set up a contest on "Why the United States Needs the U.N." for all the high schools in New York City to participate in. The winners were received at the Mansion after lunch and it was wonderful to see their pleasure in their success.

Mr. Golden also set up prizes for the best papers sent in by actors and actresses and I heard that the winners in this contest might read their papers over the air.

Over the years Mr. Golden has made a big contribution to the United Nations Day celebration and we are very grateful to him for his interest and support.

On Tuesday afternoon I attended a reception given at the Sara Delano Roosevelt Interfaith House of Hunter College by the Greater New York chapter of the AAUN and the Hunter College group for U.N. Week.

In the evening, I had some out-of-town friends for dinner and sent them off to a play, realizing that I would be so swamped with work that I would have to spend the major part of the evening at my desk.

Wednesday morning early, I left by air for Springfield, Mass., to speak there at noon for their U.N. Week observance. Then I took a train to Boston and spoke at Swampscott at a lecture arranged by W. Colston Leigh. I returned after midnight by air.

I have just received a box from the American Artists Group, Inc. of 106 Seventh Avenue, New York, containing their 20th anniversary portfolio of Christmas cards.

I would like to quote one paragraph from the letter that accompanied these cards. It says:

"Christmas in America is the keynote of our 1954 collection and this theme is pointed up in one of the press stories enclosed. The other script pays tribute to the reverence and idealism that play so large a part in the American Christmas spirit. Apropos of this, you may be interested to note that a number of the artists have been inspired by the United Nations or other symbols of faith and understanding that transcend lingual, racial, and geographical differences."

The cards are really exquisite and I am sure many people would be glad to have them.