HYDE PARK, Tuesday—I spent this morning up at the top cottage trying to put it in order for one of my children, who hopes to spend part of the summer there. My husband planned this cottage for his own personal pleasure and relaxation. He never used it except for a few hours at a time when he wanted a peaceful spot to write a speech or to sit and talk with his friends. Sometimes he would choose to have a picnic meal there, but more often he wanted quiet in order to think. The house is not exactly arranged for the use of a family, particularly when there are children; but I am now trying to make it liveable for the summer.

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A good part of my day yesterday was spent going over the Wiltwyck School. A group of ladies came in the morning who wished to talk to Dr. Cooper and get an idea of the way these young boys are handled. Boys between the ages of 8 and 12, brought into court often because of home conditions, are frequently in a very disturbed emotional state. But proper care returns them eventually to improved homes and enables them to live a normal community life. The ladies left after a brief lunch with me, and I then went over to the big house to work for two or three hours.

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As I listened to the news this morning, I realized that our men are doing some very hard fighting both on Okinawa and in the Philippines. I hope it will make us all the more anxious not only to buy bonds in this Seventh War Loan drive, but to do what we can to help sell them. The end of the war in Europe has not made it any less important for us to put all of our savings into War Bonds when we can. The news said the loan started well, but we must sustain our efforts. The more help we give financially and in daily work, so that supplies flow to our fighting fronts in the full amount needed, the more discouraged the enemy will be.

In view of the needs of our fighting men and of the liberated countries, I hope that for a time at least we are not going to complain too much if we cannot buy meat or if the shops do not have the things we would like to buy. During the summer, when vegetables and fruits and fish are fairly plentiful, perhaps those of us who do not do heavy work can voluntarily get along with less meat than we would ordinarily like. Black markets and efforts to remove the price ceiling may seem very attractive. But in the end, that is the type of self-indulgence which brings us inflation and hurts the pockets of every individual, rich or poor, in this country.