CHICAGO, Sunday—I landed from a plane in Minneapolis, Minn., on Saturday morning and was greeted by the press photographers and Miss Hickok. Then we proceeded at once to St. Paul. Fortunately, I was in time to attend the Democratic Women's luncheon.

I had had some very nice letters from children in a hospital in Minneapolis, begging me to come to see them. Unfortunately, there were so many other things I had been asked to do, that I had to decide to do nothing at all, in order to have a little rest before preparing to speak in the evening.

I find that a whole night of travelling is not conducive to doing really well in a speech, if I have no rest beforehand. I was particularly sorry not to see the WPA nutrition projects, for these are among the most interesting things being done along this line in this country.

Some old friends came to see me in the late afternoon. After the evening meeting, where I spoke, I fell into bed, because we had to be back at the airport this morning at 8:00 o'clock to catch our plane back to Chicago, and from there to New York City and Washington. I was glad to have a friend with me on the return trip, though I always have so many things to read tucked away in my briefcase time never hangs very heavily on my hands, no matter how much I am alone.

The meeting last night was nonpartisan, even though it was held as part of the regional conference program. I am deeply appreciative of the hospitality which was extended not only by the democratic women, but by everyone we met.

When I told my mother-in-law I was coming out here, she, who thinks primarily about the family, reminded me that there are cousins here, the Ames, who have been a force and influence in the community for many years. She hoped I would surely manage somehow to see them. Then she thought of a young great-niece who is married to a newspaperman out here, and who may shortly go to Seattle, Wash., and expressed the hope that I would see her also.

Politics, when it comes to the family, means very little to my mother-in-law. She sees no reason whatsoever why all the cousins did not flock to see me, even if I was attending a Democratic Party meeting.

I shall return to Washington this evening at about the same time the President will from a short cruise on the river, if he is able to go. Nowadays, every plan he makes carries the proviso that the news of the moment may cause a change.