NEW YORK, Tuesday—During World War II and immediately after some of our servicemen were married to Australian girls and others who served there saw possibilities which they thought promised a better and easier future. So, they settled in the land called Down Under and, of course, their status today is interesting to read about, as I have just done. I think we are sufficiently like the Australians so that we get on well with them and living there should not be very difficult for our young people.

Fortunately, Australia is a country that needs settlers.

In reading the article about those boys who settled there I took note that they are pretty well sticking to the cities, and I would think one of them, who is an engineer, might sometime make a study into the possibility of finding underground rivers in the interior. The land is, for the most part, dry land and it takes an unconscionable amount of land to support one sheep. So it would mean a tremendous lift to the country if some subterranean water supply could be found. According to the survey I saw, however, there is no one actually making this particular type of study.

I have found much to my regret in the past day or two that I have to have time to do a few personal things before leaving next week for Japan and Europe.

As a result, I had to forgo the pleasure of attending on Monday night the dinner given by the United Jewish Appeal for Ambassador Eban. It was a real disappointment to me personally, but I was somewhat relieved because I felt it would cause less consternation than if I had had to give up something where I was the only speaker and the whole meeting depended on my being there.

As always happens when one is going away, unexpected things come up and one has to try to finish odds and ends hurriedly as the date for departure draws closer.

I am prepared to work very hard in Japan but on leaving there I hope to travel in more leisurely fashion, not spending much time anywhere except in Yugoslavia, where I will be for about two weeks. And I hope there will be no speeches or official engagements, so that I can really enjoy sights and sounds of new places and get a little impression of the places and peoples.

I was very much touched the other day to be invited to the coronation by Queen Elizabeth, and I was very sorry that, because of my commitments in Japan, it wasn't possible for me to accept.

In the same way I would have liked very much to be at the wedding of Princess Ragnhilds. I felt it was very kind of Prince Olaf and Princess Martha to invite me and because of old associations I would have liked to have been there. I am glad, however, to hear the young people will be coming to New York, as the young husband's family has business connections here, and I look forward to someday soon when I shall see them.