WASHINGTON, Thursday—In talking to my press conference yesterday, the women seemed very much interested in the gifts which had been presented to me in the course of the last few years. This seems to me very natural, since I have always been interested in gifts which were presented to the wives and children of our former Presidents. In describing the interesting gift of an old jewelled crown which the President brought back to me after his trip to Casablanca, I was unable to give the exact title of the gentleman who presented it to my husband. He is His Sherifian Majesty, Sidi Mohammed, the Sultan of Morocco.

I have always felt a little sorry for any lady who had to wear a crown, but the one who wore this one would carry a very heavy weight on her head as well as in her heart. It is a beautiful and interesting piece of decorative work, however, and always attracts a great deal of attention when young people visit the library at Hyde Park. The ladies of the press asked if someday we would show some of the costumes, and I will try to do so.

At noon yesterday Mrs. Hugh Butler's two public speaking classes came in to demonstrate what they are going to do in speaking for the Dumbarton Oaks proposals. There are a number of wives of Congressmen and Army and Navy officers, as well as a good many members of the League of Women Voters among them.

I think it is grand of these young women to take the time for these courses in order to do a constructive piece of work, and I was much impressed by the very effective way in which they spoke. If they are any sample of the young women of the present day, our ladies are going to be a great addition in the world of public speakers.

In the afternoon Miss Ruth Winchell came in to play her accordion for a group of men from the Naval Hospital, and we had a very pleasant time together.

At 5 o'clock I went to the broadcasting station to speak to the women of the Soviet Union in honor of International Women's Day, and then I attended the reception given by Mrs. Joseph Davies at her home. The other speakers were Lady Sansom, wife of Sir George Sansom, attached to the British Embassy; Mme. Bonnet, wife of the French Ambassador, and Mme. Gromyko, wife of the Ambassador from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

I am always filled with admiration when I find foreign women speaking our language so well, and doing what to me would be impossible in their language.