Baghdad Dec. 18 Dearest Mother. I have your letter dated Dec 3 - nothing from Father this last overland mail, so I'll answer you. Thank you so very much for the bag Xmas present; that was a most kind thought. I use it daily and shall do till I die I expect. I'm writing to Sir F. Macmillan about Amurath - thank you for that too. Let me think what I've been doing - on Friday I had an Arab dinner party, Fakhri Jamil, who sent Father his photograph, Majid Beg with whom Father had tea, and 'Abdul 'Aziz Qasrab, a very pleasant man in Interior. Mr Cooke came to help. Poor old Majid Beg, a friend of so many years' standing, has been obliged to resign the post of Mutasarrif of Dulaim. He exacted too many presents. He was given the choice of resignation or an enquiry and chose the former, wisely. What can one do? He has been lionhearted in politics, but the fatal flaw of corruption can't be condoned. On Saturday afternoon I rode out to see the Arab Army polo - Zaid plays there and between chuckers I had an amusing talk with him about the King's visit to Najaf [Najaf, An] - he went there after Karbala and it was a great success. Zaid's view on political matters are clearcut. "And there got up a schoolmaster" he related "and talked horrible nonsense about independence. But the King cut him short." I dined, with Ken Cornwallis, Col. Slater and Mr Keeling, with the Monroes at the 'Alwiyah club and played Bridge afterwards. The interesting tale of the Monroes is this: he was commercial attaché at the Embassy at C'ple [Istanbul (Constantinople)], and she married to another. She is very pretty and charming; consequently they ran away with one another and he had to resign from the service. He's now in the Ottoman Bank. My comment is that I can't think why she put herself to so much trouble for Monroe who is rather flashy and common. He plays Bridge well however. Encore un détail intérressant. Col. Slater's daughter, aged 17, with whom he is on the best of terms, writes to him as follows: "Isn't it delightful - Mother's going to marry Col. Borton and be happy at last." And he tells everybody. Isn't the world a queer place! On Sunday morning it rained cats and dogs, the first really heavy rain this winter. I sat at home and defeated my correspondence, paid bills and answered all outstanding letters. Then I had Major Yetts and his new wife to lunch - my hat! she's a dull dog - and Saiyid Husain and his new wife who isn't dull at all, and Capt. Clayton. I dined with Col. Slater with whom the Yettses are staying - Major Yetts is now in Finance. The Bourdillons were there, Nigel Davidson and Lionel Smith - he and Col. Slater live together. It wasn't very amusing but I played Bridge after with Bernard Bourdillon for a partner which is always entertaining. On Monday it was deep in mud so that one couldn't do anything. I dined at the Residency to meet the King - a most successful party. There's a very charming Italian, Signor Cora, staying with Sir Henry. He is Minister in Tehran [(Teheran)], or was, and is now appointed to Munich [München] where he'll see all that is to be seen. I sat between him and the King. H.M. was in great spirits and his best mood. The Joyces, Bourdillons, Ken, Nigel and Ja'far and the ADCs were the party. After dinner Lady Dobbs had some of the Cameronians to dance reels and sword dances and play the pipes. They did it beautifully and H.M. was enchanted. Signor Cora tells me - I seem to run to gossip! - that Prince Teano has left his wife, finding her finally too dog stupid, and gone away with another Italian woman to live in America. Think what a to do there was when a Caetani married a Colonna and the most beautiful woman in Rome [Roma]! But I always wondered how he could bear it. He couldn't. On Tuesday Signor Cora came to tea; he leaves tomorrow by the overland mail. It has fortunately cleared and the world is drying up fast. I had a most charming and rather daring dinner party. When the Air Marshal first came he and I and Ken once dined together that he might hear from Ken the Arab side of the show. It was most successful and I repeated it. It's rare to repeat things successfully, but this time it was better than the last. He is an enchanting creature, Sir John; he and Ken get on admirably and have a great admiration for each other's work, and I have a like feeling for them both. I gave them a very good dinner and we talked uninterruptedly till 11. Sir John is perfectly delicious when he talks about the R.A.F. They are wonderful, the air people, with their immense enthusiasm, the feeling of the new job growing up under their hand and the abiding sense of danger. Of the last Sir John says: "Every flying officer knows he takes a risk when he gets up into the air - it seems to give a kick to his intelligence." Good psychology, isn't it. This afternoon, I rode out to Kadhimain [(Al Kazimiyah)] where Sir Henry and his party were having tea with Saiyid Ja'far. It was a beautiful afternoon and the Saiyid gave us tea in his garden under the orange trees where he entertained Father and me - a little chilly, but they sat in their motor coats. And it is a very picturesque place. Afterwards we loafered into the town and climbed onto a roof to look at the golden minarets and domes in the sunset with a pale moon, nearly full, hanging between the minarets. It was nice. Mr Philby has invited the King, Sir Henry, Ken and me to fly over to 'Amman and meet King Husain. The old rogue is going to pay a visit to Sidi 'Abdullah - poor Sidi 'Abdullah! I think it would have been prodigeously [sic] amusing but the King has no wish to meet his father and won't go - unless King Husain insists, in which case I've stipulated with H.E. that I'm to be allowed to attend also. We're gong to Babylon on Sunday for a few days, Nigel, Ken, Capt Clayton, Mr Pritchard (Adviser to Justice) and I. It should be delightful. But I possibly may not write to you by next air mail as I shall be tramping the 'Iraq all day and sleeping all night. This should reach you about New Year's Day - many many good wishes to you all, dear family. Your very affectionate daughter (also happy daughter) Gertrude It was rather malicious of the Times to print Sir Arthur's letter and Father's on one page! Here's the photograph of the opening of Karbala railway.