WASHINGTON, Wednesday—Washington has bloomed considerably in the week that I have been away and it seems much more like spring here than it did in New York State. At 10:30 this morning I went out to the University of Maryland to give a talk. Because this is a land grant college, they have quite a large military force. I drove up to the front of the auditorium mainly because I was impressed by the number of boys in uniform standing outside the door.

Nobody seemed to be expecting me, nor was there anyone to tell me where to go. Finally, a very trim young soldier stepped up and said: "I think they are expecting you at the other door" and led me through an inside passageway past locker rooms labelled "baseball" and "basketball," up a short flight of steps to the rear of the stage. I was still a surprise to the people waiting at that door, so I sat down calmly and waited until the President of the University, Mr. H. C. Byrd, came up to me and told me that Miss Adele Stamp had gone to meet me at the District Line with a police escort! Somehow, we had come by gaily and they did not see us and we did not see them.

I felt very guilty to have missed a hostess who had gone out to meet me. At last Miss Stamp returned. The hall was packed. I felt quite at home because the invocation and the final blessing were spoken by our own rector, the Rev. Mr. Wilkerson of St. Thomas' Church.

I enjoyed the singing of the sophmore group and the glee club and the playing of the band. I received a most beautiful basket of yellow roses which are now filling the place of honor in my sitting room.

Only two guests for lunch today. One of them, Mrs. Waterstreet, comes from Wisconsin and does programs which impersonate various ladies who have lived in the White House. She was most anxious to have a more intimate glimpse of the house which she talks about so often, for you can not really obtain much knowledge on a mere sightseeing trip.

Our other guest was Mrs. Carl Akeley. She has spent nine years working for the Akeley Memorial in the Museum of Natural History, New York City. Now she has some educational work which she wants to do. Though I did not have an opportunity to go into it very carefully with her, it sounds as though it would be of great interest to young and old, especially to people in this country who are interested in conservation of our natural resources, beauty spots and wildlife.

Someone has sent me a most delightful cartoon from Scribner's Magazine on spring cleaning in the White House. Unfortunately, I don't direct this in person but, since I saw this cartoon, I shall have far greater sympathy for those who actually have this work to do.