EN ROUTE TO WASHINGTON, Thursday—We arrived in New York City yesterday afternoon and I went at once to see Mrs. William Brown Meloney. Here is a woman who, in spite of months of illness, has managed to keep her guiding hand on the production of a weekly magazine, has given her thought to the arrangements of one of the best known forums in the country, has worked on a book and talked to innumerable people. Her spirit has remained an outgoing spirit in spite of all the limitations of pain and weakness. There is something very stimulating in talking with this gallant woman.

Some friends came to dine, then two hours spent visiting another friend left me catching up on mail until a rather late hour in the night.

Our son, James, who has flown back from California for a few days, came to breakfast with me and I will find him in Washington tomorrow morning.

Eleven-thirty found me at the Symons Galleries to look at a one man exhibition of paintings by Mr. Karl Larsson, who years ago painted up on the coast of Maine near our summer home at the island of Campobello and who taught winters in the school which our boys attended in New York City. Some years later his wife, who is also an artist, illustrated two books which my daughter wrote called: "Scamper" and "Scamper's Christmas." I have not seen any of Mr. Larsson's work for several years, so it was like discovering a stranger when I went into the gallery this morning.

He has come a long way since those early Maine days. Except for one or two water colors of New England, most of these pictures were done in Mexico during a four-month trip. He is experimenting with different kinds of technique.

I loved two portraits of Mexican boys and a landscape with little white Mexican burros coming down a winding road attracted me because of its decorative qualities. I have a feeling that anyone who buys one of his paintings today will have something they will enjoy living with, and I should not be surprised to see him develop further because his ability has increased so much these past few years.

I had appointments with several people, a hasty lunch, packed my bags and was off ago on the 2:30 train for Wilmington, Delaware. Tonight I have a lecture in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and take the midnight train on to Washington.

Historic things are happening in Washington this afternoon. Mr. Mackenzie King is spending the night at the White House and, since I have the pleasantest recollections of his last visit when I was at home, I am glad that I shall be there tomorrow to see him. I am also glad that these trade treaties are gradually going through and I hope that they will prove really helpful to all the countries involved. It is true that people's interests follow their financial investments and so, perhaps these trade treaties with various countries in the world will bring us all returns which are not exclusively economic.