NEW YORK, Tuesday—A Mrs. M.G. Thomason of Wellington, Tenn., has sent me an article that she clipped from a Memphis paper. It is an interesting story, particularly to one who has been sitting in the plenary sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, listening to the various speeches.

The article deals with two sermons preached by a Presbyterian missionary, Mississippi-born Dr. J. Kelly Unger, who spent 21 years as head of the world's largest Christian leper colony in South Korea.

Dr. Unger wrote, in part: "The big struggle between democracy and communism is not one of arms and men and material possessions, but it is one of ideas...Communism can never be conquered by democracy as it is now being practiced unless we reinforce democracy with Christianity...An idea is always more powerful than a gun...They appeal to poor and hungry people, set up an ideal, a utopia, make all sorts of promises about dividing the wealth but they give the people nothing. In fact, they take from the people at the same time they are spreading this propaganda in secrecy, yet the people accept it."

It is that last sentence that is full of meaning. Where there is misery and unhappiness reason does not function. Only hope must be kept alive, so the people cling to any promise which seems to mean a better way of life.

Our failures in democracy are always exploited. They are told to all people, and it is quite evident that in our failures we do not live up to the ideals of democracy and Christianity. And yet Christianity is the basis for real democracy.

Yesterday afternoon at the General Assembly meeting British Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin made an extremely fine speech. It was a Christian speech, with charity and hope. Yet, it carried the full realization of the practical things that have to be done to give us a chance to keep the peace and work on a long-range program for economic improvement in areas of the world where for most people life has been hardly worth living.

General Carlos P. Romulo, who spoke after Mr. Bevin, stressed the poverty of Asia and the need for reassuring Asiatic peoples by our actions in Korea that we would not stop with military action alone. He pointed out that we would go on to give them assistance, thus making real economic improvement and giving the lie to the empty promises of the Soviet Union.

This week is National Dog Week and those of us who have dogs and love dogs must remind everybody else that dogs' rights have to be protected as well as those of human beings. Dogs have a right to a good home and proper care. In return they will give companionship, devotion and protection to the home. Stray dogs should be eliminated from the streets and the countryside if possible. They are a danger to other dogs and to human beings. Dogs are good play-fellows for children and teach many valuable lessons to their young masters and mistresses. For that reason we should observe National Dog Week and try to help gain the objectives which dog lovers have set forth.