NEW YORK, Sunday—On Thursday evening in the pouring rain, a number of the members of the board and staff of the American Association for the U.N. went down to the opening meeting of the metropolitan division membership drive. The meeting was planned just for the volunteers who are going to work in this drive in the various areas of greater New York. But it was very difficult for those at a distance to come in the rain, and the attendance was smaller than expected. I thought the meeting very well worthwhile, nevertheless, for those who would come out on an evening of rain and fog would surely care enough to do some real work in the drive for memberships.

Mrs. Lydia Mead Englebert, co-chairman of the metropolitan division of the AAUN, presided and the first speaker was Dr. Hugh Keenleyside, director general of the technical assistance administration in the U.N. Oscar de Lima, vice-chairman of the AAUN, spoke briefly, and so did Gardner Cowles who, with his wife, attended the whole meeting. Mr. Eichelberger and I were the other speakers.

The lighter entertainment was provided by two young men, Lou Singer and Hy Zaret, who have composed "little songs" about the U.N. One played the piano and the other sang, urging everyone to join in. The songs were simple and catchy enough for everyone to do that, and after two or three of them we began to get a considerable chorus. I liked one that went:

"I want to live in a friendly world,
A friendly world, a friendly world;
I want to live in a kind of world
That's kind to folks like me."

A particularly easy one for everyone to join in with was called, "One Was A Sailor and One Was A King."

I hope that all the workers, even those who were not present, will labor hard in this campaign and roll up thousands of members in greater New York.

On Friday morning I presided for an hour over a panel which was part of a conference on world disarmament and development. It was held in the Carnegie Endowment International Center under the auspices of a number of well-known individuals affiliated with a variety of organizations. There are fourteen contributing organizations, but the American Friends Service Committee is, of course, the sparkplug when you talk about disarmament and stepping up efforts for peace.

The subject of the panel discussion was "The Community Educates Itself." One speaker stated frankly that probably only when the community was willing to educate itself could education sink in and really have any value. The six speakers tried to give practical advice on the techniques of education within a community, and I thought it was a particularly successful presentation.