NEW YORK—I am delighted to see that our government is urging the U.N. to work for a cease-fire in the Formosa straits. The little islands close to the shore of Communist China which are being attacked are of little importance except to the Communists. But even such unimportant things might well bring war, and it is a good thing to see our government using the U.N. and not succumbing to the hot-heads in our own government circles.

I was also interested to read the other day that Secretary of Defense Wilson had restored Mrs. Annie Lee Moss to a "non-sensitive" job. Mrs. Moss is the woman who has been twice suspended by the Army as a result of charges brought against her before the McCarthy committee. I doubt personally whether she ever had the education to be in a "sensitive" job, for she has appeared a very simple woman in all one has read about her. What interests me is Mr. Wilson's remark on the case in a letter to Secretary of the Army Stevens. The record, he writes, "does not support a conclusion that she is actually subversive or disloyal to the United States." Mr. Wilson adds: "There is, however, a clear indication of certain derogatory information occurring prior to 1946." He does not, however, tells us what this "information" was, and it must be confusing to the woman herself. I only hope she knows what the "derogatory information" may be, so that she can avoid what might lead to similar reports in the future.

On Wednesday night I went to a performance of Gian Carlo Menotti's opera, "The Saint of Bleecker Street." I did not think either the book or the music was quite as impressive as "The Consul," his previous opera. It has left me with a question in my mind, for I am not sure I quite understand what Menotti is trying to tell us. Is it a drama about good and evil struggling for the heroine's soul? In that case, "good" certainly used some cruel and strong-arm methods. The crowd hypnosis is also an element in the play which interested me. I imagine, too, that the acceptance of death, so feared by the woman of the streets and yet in the end so calmly accepted in Annina's arms, might well be one of the most important things to stay in our minds.

In any case, I found the opera interesting. It is not always pleasant as music or as a play, but I am glad I didn't miss it.

A new book by Elmer Davis will be published on February 25. If it is anywhere near as good as his last one, "But We Were Born Free," he deserves a vote of thanks for having devoted himself to the arduous task of writing another book. What a task it is! I sometimes wonder that any of us ever make up our minds to undertake it!