NEW YORK, Wednesday—Here I am back in town—and I was not sorry to leave the country, because it was raining again. My two little dogs, however, were much distressed to see me leave. Though I assured them I would be back, I am not sure I convinced them I was not deserting them for good.

It was good news that a peaceful settlement was reached in the Guatemalan conflict. The United States Ambassador to Guatemala, John E. Peurifoy, who participated in the negotiations, has had previous experience, in Greece, with trouble-making Communists, and undoubtedly the Communists in Guatemala will continue to cause considerable trouble.

The influence of other Central and South American states was probably exerted to bring about this peaceful settlement, and I certainly hope that they will continue to give advice which will lead to calmer thinking and careful analysis of the influences which prey on so many governments in our Hemisphere.

The United States should never act unilaterally in South or Central America, because there is always the danger of arousing resentment on the part of our sister nations. They naturally might think that, because of our great power, we wish to dictate to them instead of consulting with them as to the best way of keeping our two continents free and democratic.

Of late years, too, there has been a feeling in South America that we do not show as much interest in aiding the development of South American countries as we have shown in other areas of the world. This leads to considerable bitterness, because these nations feel that our first interest should be in the economic strengthening of our own part of the world.

Some of the plans for aid which are being proposed in the United Nations and outside of it have not met with the approval of our Government. Some of the Rockefeller family, Nelson Rockefeller in particular, have carried out development programs in different South American countries, but these countries feel that it should be of more interest to our Government, whether on a Point Four basis or within a U.N. arrangement.

We cannot ignore these things, and it does require diplomacy and tact to deal with our neighbors. These qualities are present in our Ambassador to Guatemala, Mr. Peurifoy, and we are fortunate to have him there at the present time.