NEW YORK, Friday—I was delighted to read the other day of the two Nobel prizes awarded, one to Dr. Schweitzer for his remarkable work and the other to General Marshall for the Marshall Plan. I am sure that many people were happy to read of both these awards, but I was particularly glad to read of the one to the General at the time when he had just been taken to the hospital. Even though the reports say he is doing well, I am sure that this must give him pleasure and help him to recover quickly.

I look upon Gen. Marshall as one of our great citizens and I don't think anything has ever made me as angry as the attacks leveled at him by certain gentlemen in the Senate. When you have given years of unselfish service to your country, you may look upon such attacks as pinpricks, but to your friends I think a little righteous indignation is permissible. I decided long ago that those who attack the fine people of the world unthinkingly, or from malice, suffer more themselves and usually do little harm to those they are attacking.

One cannot help rejoicing, however, when one of these great world honors is given to a man who richly deserves it and who has borne vilification in his own country with such dignity that I sometimes suspect that even those who attack him have long ago regretted it deeply.

I was very sorry to see the other day that Jane Hoey was to leave her post as director of the Bureau of Public Assistance of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Secretary Oveta Culp Hobby explained that this place being a policy-making post, they wished to give it to someone close to the Administration interests, which of course means that a Democrat must go.

As a matter of fact, however, this is a post which requires long training and preparation. The salary is not large, but the responsibility is great. The bureau handles the largest grants-in-aid program of the Government, aggregating 1,338,000,000 dollars in the 1953 fiscal year. Many people, regardless of party, will regret this removal because they will feel as I do that it is difficult to find a person in either party to replace her. She has many friends and I was surprised to find that even in Republican circles where welfare was a consideration, the removal was looked upon with great regret.

It is, of course, not surprising that Mrs. Hobby should not realize just what the implication of this removal must be. The responsibility for the well-being of so many people is a heavy one and much good judgment and experience must go into the decisions which have to be made. Many people will be wishing Miss Hoey well and hoping she will find some equally valuable work to do in the near future.