HYDE PARK. Friday —We seem to be faced again by a crisis, this time caused by the downing of an American plane by the Russians near the Turkish-Soviet border. The Soviets say we violated their territory. We say it was a weather plane and the pilot was in trouble.

The speech by Premier Nikita Khrushchev revealing this incident, and indicating that it might have been intentional on our part to endanger the outcome of the summit meeting, seems to reveal what is in his mind but certainly not what is in the minds of the American people.

The American people are very anxious that something be accomplished at this month's summit conference, if only enough that would lead to future meetings at which more would be gained in the interest of easing world tensions.

I'm afraid that Mr. Khrushchev seized upon this incident only to cover up something that might be embarrassing to him at the present time.

The first report said that the American markings on the plane had been obliterated. This seems strange indeed, and I cannot quite believe it.

The incident is a serious one, however, and I know that everyone who had hoped that world tensions might be diminished have been saddened by it.

We returned from our brief lecture trip Thursday afternoon. Though we had to get up very early for the trip to the Moline, Ill., airport, we were driven there by such delightful companions that we forgot how early it was. In fact, I thought then that this was the hour everybody got up!

Mr. Dorothy Norman conducted a meeting Thursday afternoon at which Morris Milgram spoke in the interest of gaining more support in his fight against the opposition to integrated housing on the outskirts of Chicago.

In this day and age, it seems strange that people should want to stop something as inevitable as integrated housing, especially when it is being accomplished in such a sensible way as it is being done by this group.

But there will always be people who feel they can achieve everything they desire and have things remain exactly as they have been. The trouble is that the world is moving ahead and it is very hard to stop it.

Some friends went with me Thursday evening to see "The Miracle Worker."

Patty Duke does a splendid piece of work in depicting the child Helen Keller must have been before she found her teacher, but I think Tresa Hughes plays her part almost as remarkably. It was a physical and mental struggle to get through to this child and present the concept that language must be the medium, and the brave fight to bring about final success is a remarkable story.