NEW YORK—I have just received an appeal from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. They tell me that the wife of the President of the Lebanese Republic, Mrs. Camille Chamoun, has agreed to be a patron for the appeal being made for the school of nursing of the university.

The first school of nursing in the whole Middle East was founded 50 years ago at the American University of Beirut in 1905. During these 50 years the school has trained and graduated nearly 550 nurses.

On June 24, 1955, this school celebrates its 50th anniversary and its aim now is to endow a rest home for retired nurses. To establish this home will require $50,000 and, as yet, they have only collected $10,000. It is hoped that the remainder will be obtained before next June.

An appeal, therefore, is going out to organizations and associations in other countries which would look sympathetically on their cause. I have acceded to their request in mentioning this in my column because one of the most important things to that area of the world is good medical care and good nursing care.

Five hundred and fifty nurses are not nearly enough to cover the whole of the Near East and to give the proper assistance to the medical profession and to such public health projects as may exist. Yet, these are probably the only nurses trained in a modern way anywhere in the Near East.

So, it seems to me important that we in the United States have a part, either as individuals or through our organizations, in helping to establish a rest home for trained nurses in that area of the world. It certainly would be one attraction to get more people into the nursing service in the Near East, and it would raise the dignity of the profession to have this consideration accorded it.

The snow is all gone in the city and even in the country it is off the roads. My Scottie, Mr. Duffy as we call him, always has the most wonderful time when we are in the country, but he knows the minute he sees bags appear that we are about to depart and he never goes far away from the house.

Even if he is indoors he is so afraid we will forget him that he follows me everywhere. And when I finally take his chain down and put it on he trots out to the car with supreme satisfaction.

Though I know he would far rather stay in the country, the choice between going with his family and staying behind is no choice at all. I think that is what makes dogs so appealing. They never seem to care half as much about things, such as where they live, as they do about the people with whom they live.

I wish one could always feel that external surroundings influenced people as little as they do dogs!