WASHINGTON, Thursday—I have a most amusing letter from a gentleman who is evidently promoting a secretarial school run by a young lady in whom he may have a personal or purely business interest. It isn't such a bad idea, so I shall tell you about it.

The school will offer a course said to fit women for business, so that when their husbands are called to military service the ladies can run their businesses. This sounds rather ludicrous, but there is one thing about it which is not foolish. If the ladies can be taught business hours and application, they may possibly be able to grasp more about their husbands' businesses than they have in the past.

No course could teach each one of them the particular problems they will have to face, unless they are just taking over a minor job. Still, the general training may be of great value and their husbands may find them more understanding and may be able to give them a little real education before the need arises for them actually to carry any grave responsibility. It may also make for more real companionship in everyday existence.

One other interesting letter has come to me from a thoughtful young doctor who read the financial problem of another doctor, which I described the other day. I do not know enough about it to know if there is a germ of a solution in the paragraph I quote below, but I think if many people come together and think about the problem, we may arrive at some helpful conclusion. Here is solution number one for consideration:

"The only remedy that I could suggest for this highly controversial problem, (which I understand is attracting various social, economic groups and legislative bodies) is to adopt the federalized medical plan, so that everyone who seeks medical aid will be able to obtain it through their respective doctors by means of a sliding scale insurance tax plan. This would obviate the free clinics and the necessity of building extra hospitals, when we have at the present time and at all times 200,000 idle beds in our hospitals throughout the country."

It is, of course, much warmer here, but the White House itself is always spacious and pleasant. I have enjoyed seeing various gentlemen who have been kind enough to come and talk to me about some of the plans which are being considered as possible opportunities for youth training which will fit them for times of peace as well as war.