NEW YORK—I was shocked yesterday to read in a newspaper that two Jews have been executed in Egypt. The sentence imposed on these people seemed to me extremely cruel and severe, and I believe many people had hoped that the protest of various groups and even official expressions of concern from governments might temper the severity, despite the tension that exists between Israel and the Arab states. This is, of course, a product of fear and I am beginning more and more to feel that in our own country as well as in the rest of the world the things that happen as a result of fear are harmful to the development of goodwill among nations and, eventually, to the peace of the world.

I am very much encouraged by the fact that a genuine effort is being made in the United Nations to have the situation in the Formosa Straits considered there. This indicates we have learned that the U.N. can only be strengthened by using its facilities to keep the peace. And the vote in the Security Council was very encouraging. It seems reasonable to me that representatives of Communist China should be permitted to attend discussion of this question in the U.N. But the abstention of the Soviet Union on this vote is somewhat puzzling. Perhaps future developments will explain it to all of us.

The president of the Fund for the Republic, Robert M. Hutchins, announced a short time ago that there has been an allocation of $250,000 by the fund for a factual study of the influence of communism, past and present, on all aspects of American life. A group of scholars under the direction of Clinton Rossiter, who is professor of government at Cornell University and who wrote the prize winning history, "Seedtime of the Republic," will make this study.

This study will contribute greatly to our knowledge and should be of help in basing future action on facts rather than on fears.

On Monday afternoon I attended a very pleasant reception at the American Association for University Women clubhouse, and later spent the evening at the board meeting of the American Association for the U.N.

That board meeting was held in preparation for a meeting in Washington, at the end of this month, when the AAUN invites other organizations to meet and discuss matters in the field of foreign affairs which are of interest to all groups trying to keep abreast of conditions in the world as they affect our country.

I failed to mention last week that I had seen an entertaining play called "Anastasia." I found it extremely well acted, and, though the first act seemed to drag a little, the second and third acts held my constant interest. I think anyone will find this play a good way to spend an evening.