In June of 1946, Sawyer had participated in several weeks of meetings to plan out the World Health Organization. In August, he traveled to Geneva, where the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was meeting to discuss the organization's future. In this letter written on his birthday, Sawyer told Mrs. Sawyer about the Director General's plan to close down UNRRA by the end of 1946.
Item is handwritten.
Number of Image Pages:
4 (184,040 Bytes)
Date:
1946-08-07 (August 7, 1946)
Creator:
Sawyer, Wilbur A.
Recipient:
Sawyer, Margaret
Rights:
This item is in the public domain. It may be used without permission.
This is my birthday, and I miss you greatly. It has been a heavenly day. From the upper floors of the Palais des Nations we looked across the blue lake with its white sailboats, across green slopes with many trees, toward mount Blanc,--white and magnificent. The days are warm, but the evenings perfect. We eat out of doors regularly and have not encountered a flying insect yet.
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Mr. La Guardia gave a really good speech to-day,--about 2 hrs. long. He is going to cut off the program of Welfare Services at once, and health services in Europe at the end of the year,--which is all right with me. He started by giving a eulogy of the health work,--the highest praise he gave to any part or function of UNRRA.
I reached here by train yesterday morning,--one full day late. I have a room in Hotel Richemond and am comfortable. Your letter reached me yesterday morning at my temporary office (shared with Dr. Goodman). It was a joy to hear from you and have your
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letter on my birthday, to read over again. It was dated Aug 2 and received Aug 6. Extraordinary! 3 or 4 days en route.
I feel reassured about Peg, and I hope she is entirely normal by now. Thanks for relaying the news from Bill. I hope he finds a solution of the housing problem. Couldn't the family live in Augusta?
Miss Holbrook's letter puzzles me. I probably was too brief about the conventions, but you could learn all about them by phoning Bryan or Stowman at the office. The administration of the Sanitary Conventions of 1944 will go to the new World Health Organization,
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and have the effect of international treaties. I shall be interested in seeing how you fixed the letter up. Doubtless it was improved.
We sat up all night in the boat train from the wrecked harbor of Le Havre to Paris and spent the day there. Most of the shops were closed because it was Monday! No other reason. In the evening we took the sleeper for Geneva.
