WASHINGTON, Tuesday—Though I was not here last Sunday, a very successful party for 40 disabled veterans was carried through by the members of the White House staff. These veterans came from the Naval Hospital at Bethesda, the Walter Reed General Hospital and the Forest Glen Hospital for Convalescent Men.

The arrangements were made by the Disabled American Veterans and the Junior Board of Commerce, who are very active in all these hospitals. The men were taken first to the Pitt-Redskins football game, and then came to the White House, where they saw the house and had light refreshments. I hope that we can have these parties regularly from now through the holidays, and I shall hope to be here myself to greet them.

Miss Thompson and I got back last evening, and as usual found considerable mail waiting for us. After talking for a while with the family, listening to Director of War Mobilization James F. Byrnes on the radio, and walking the dog around the circle back of the White House, I settled down to work. The moon has been so glorious the last few nights that I cannot resist going out late to have a final look at it.

Today promises to be a fairly busy day. My first appointment is at 10 o'clock, then a press conference. In the afternoon I hope to spend a little time at the Naval Hospital; receive 40 French fliers, together with one or two other visitors, and finally have a young colonel and his wife to dine. He has been in our son's command in the European theatre.

Among other things in my mail last night, I found a copy of the actual telegram telling about the young Russian woman who received the household kit which I had given through the Russian war relief. It sounds like an interesting family, and as though the 36-year old mother had done a remarkable wartime job in managing a home and five children on the government allowance, with what little help the union could give her in addition. If these household kits really do bring so much joy to the women and children of Russia, I hope we will go on sending them in increasing numbers, for it is certainly not very hard to do.

A great many people in this political campaign seem to be moved by the poetic muse. In my mail last night were a number of poems written by children, by men and women of middle age, by old ladies, and even by one or two elderly gentlemen. I liked one in particular, which an old lady of 80 wrote in answer to a Republican poem published in her local paper. I must say I admire her spunk in coming back in opposition to the minister who had written the poem for the Republicans!