NEW YORK, Thursday—I came to the city from Hyde Park on Wednesday morning and my train was 15 minutes late, so all day I was trying to make up those 15 minutes!

Before I tell you, however, about Wednesday I should tell you that on Monday we motored to New York, bringing four children to visit the United Nations. My niece, Mrs. Edward Elliott, went with the children on their guided tour and later told me she had never seen anything so successfully done as the way in which the guide kept the children's attention and interest and all the time was telling them everything she would tell an older group. I had seen the group start off and wondered how it would go. When they met me afterward two of the youngsters showed me the little stands they had bought. These stands hold the American and the U.N. flags and were evidence that the children had enjoyed themselves.

Their chief interest, of course, was in the proper way to display the flags. Should our own flag be on the right side or should the U.N. flag be there? I explained that we had an organization that made the rules for displaying our flag and that one of the most important was that the American flag must never touch the ground and must be treated with great respect. Of course, that holds good also for the U.N. flag, which represents the hopes of many nations besides our own. Displaying the flags together shows that we have joined in an organization to try to bring peace to the world through understanding and cooperation.

We lunched at the Waldorf with two of my newspaper friends, Doris Fleeson and May Craig, who were on their way to Europe. Then my niece took the children to the Japanese house at the Museum of Modern Art. They were much impressed when they had to take off their shoes before going in, and as they went through the house one little boy said, "We couldn't rough-house here much, could we?"

Coming down in the train on Wednesday with just my niece and her husband I couldn't help thinking how quiet and unexciting it was to travel without any children.

We lunched with Mr. John Golden at Sardi's and just before we left the restaurant Mr. Leonard Lyons came up, looking as though his trip to Europe had given him a real rest.

After lunch I went to my office in the American Association for the U.N. first to talk with Mr. George Hoyen who has tried so hard to establish a U.N. Symphony Orchestra. He thinks he is nearing his goal and I certainly hope he will succeed. Then I did a short recording for the International Children's Fund.

After keeping two other appointments I came home to my apartment.

How thankful I am for this wonderful cool weather!