HYDE PARK. Friday —I think few people will deny that all governments that are suspicious of other governments must carry on an efficient system of spying. But I would hope that we might reach the point where we at least know beforehand what the story is that we are going to tell if and when we are discovered at it. And it would seem to me we might use better judgment in choosing the proper time for carrying out certain kinds of missions.

I shall await with interest the Soviet decision on whether to allow our Embassy to have an interview with our captured pilot. According to word from Moscow, he is going to be tried in a Soviet court.

I am deeply sorry for this flier's poor, young wife. Of course, she could not know he was spying. He would not be allowed to tell her, and this must be a period of great anxiety for her.

Now that Senator Hubert H. Humphrey is no longer a candidate for the Presidency, I think his influence can be very great in the convention. Most of us believe that he stands for the things that the liberals of this country believe in. We look forward to his having added prestige in the Senate and to his continuing a useful and brilliant political career.

The League of New York Theatres seems to have decided apparently that it will not object if the failure of current negotiations with Equity brings about a Broadway blackout later this year.

The League has charged that a good part of Equity's demands will mean a rise of at least 25 percent in the price of theatre tickets. Equity states flatly that this is not true. It says that the theatregoer has been a victim of ticket price boosts that are the fault of the League.

Equity states that the cost of its demands as applied to current Broadway shows would not increase the cost to management to anywhere near the amount of a 25 percent increase which the League threatens at present to add to the price of theatre tickets. Equity proves this by taking a number of the most successful plays and showing exactly what meeting their demands would cost.

And I think the theatregoer has a right to demand that the League meet Equity's very reasonable desires for improved conditions for Equity members and that they absorb their costs in their profits rather than be adding so much to the price of tickets. By the latter action the League stands to lose a large part of its theatregoing audience.

The American Chess Foundation tells me that it has been working for over a year to develop an armed forces program, and that at last it will have a finalist tournament in Washington during Armed Forces Week.

Chess is one game in which I take considerable interest, and I think there is no reason why we should not have as good chess players in our country as there are in other countries. Chess is certainly interesting more and more of our young people.