Baghdad Oct 24 Darling Father. I mentioned bronchitis last week - well, it won and I've spent the last 6 days in my house and partly in bed. As a result of which I'm now very nearly all right. In a way I'm not sorry, tiresome as it was to be laid up, to have been removed from the fierce personal (and personnel!) controversies of which the echoes of which have reached me, and the inhabitants of Baghdad have seen to it that I've not been removed from the political crisis. For they have been at all hours by my side. I could have wished them to be, bless them, a little less solicitous. But on the plea of inquiring after my health they have sat by my sofa - the big Persian sofa in my dining room which has arrived since you left - and poured out their hopes and fears. I made an attempt to close my doors up to 11 am, but it wasn't very successful. When the Mayor of Baghdad rolled up at 9, or the Naqib sent his son Saiyid Mahmud, I was obliged quickly to endosser a dressing gown and go out to see them. The worrying thing was that we were not getting a move on. Sir Percy was being submerged in details which left him no leisure to consider the big issues, and there seemed to be no one in the office who had sufficient presence of mind to stand in his doorway and block their passage. So all I could do was to send in a daily report of the gossip, the rumour and the impatience with which the town was seething and point out that nothing but a quick decision could end them. He had already come to the decision that his first step would be to invite the Naqib to form a provisional Council but day after day passed and he hadn't time to take it. He came in to see me on Tuesday evening and after talking a little of politics I told him the whole story of the Asquith letter, that it referred only to Asquith's speech, that I had showed to A.T. [Wilson] before sending it, that he had neither expressed any objection at the time to my posting it, nor told me that he had complained subsequently. Sir Percy told me to write to Edwin and tell him all these circumstances, which at the risk of boring Edwin I've done. But I haven't said, because it scarcely needs saying, what I think of the disingenuiness of A.T.'s conduct. I can't really attempt to forgive it. That was Tuesday. On Wednesday I had the Euphrates shaikhs fresh from their interviews with Sir Percy. First Fahad Beg of the 'Anizah (and the dogs) looking younger than ever (he's not far short of 80) and proudly informing me that he has recently married 2 new wives. After which he expounded to me his simple scheme for the future which was that in all tribal matters Sir Percy should rely upon the advice of Fahad and as for the rest he should seek counsel with the Naqib and two other old turbanned worthies. Then came 'Ali Sulaiman the head shaikh of the Dulaim, a very able man with plans better suited to modern conditions than those of Fahad, and after him various smaller fry, none of them fools. On Thursday Sir Percy sent round a message to say that he had called a council of state for that afternoon in my house, since I couldn't come to the office. They assembled at 3 o'clock, Sir Percy, Evelyn Howell, Mr Philby, Mr Bullard, Sir Edgar and Col. Slater. There followed three hours of poignantly interesting discussion for Sir Percy produced his scheme for a provisional cabinet, Arab ministers and British advisers. It was what he had talked over with Mr Philby, Capt. Clayton and me the week before. I was conscious of a strong undercurrent of personal feeling and several times the talk was drawn off at a tangent in the direction of Sir Percy's Secretariat, but he was very skilful and brought it back to the point, which was the Arab side not the English. Finally he carried his scheme through with unimportant alterations, and announced that he was now going to lay it before the Naqib. I am privately convinced that Evelyn Howell will go and on the whole I think it is better that he should. He is not in sympathy with the programme, he does not believe in the possiblity of setting up Arab institutions and he can't envisage anything which is not on English lines. It is an attitude which leads him into constant opposition to whatever may be proposed and plans him, so to speak, out of the picture. He is going on leave in November and I don't think he will return. On Friday nothing further happened. I had innumberable visitors and all the restlessness of Baghdad seemed to eddy round my garden. In the evening came the Tods, he with the same story, "Make haste, make haste!" And on this note I sent my daily report to Sir Percy. Saturday began with a notable visit from Ja'far Pasha. He is a Major General of distinguished service first with the Turks and then with Faisal. I saw him in Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham, Damas)] last year and he had repeatedly written to me during the winter. He came to me hot foot from seeing Sir Percy in order to ask me - what do you think? whether it would ruin his reputation as a Nationalist to take a place in the provisional government! on the ground that it would be looked upon as a British subterfuge. I took him metaphorically by the throat and shook him. I led him over the same ground which Sir Percy had, I've no doubt, already covered, told him it was his duty as an individual and a Nationalist to assist in establishing Arab institutions in whatever form and that if he and others went boldly forward, relying on our support, they would silence criticism. Whether he believed me or not I don't know. The confidence of those who fought in Syria has been profoundly shaken by what they consider to be (not without some justice) our abandonment of Faisal, and we start in Mesopotamia at a disadvantage. Ja'far is the first of the Mesopotamians to return from Syria and on his attitude much will depend. I told him that it was my private conviction that we should never come to a point of rest here until Mesopotamia agreed in selecting as an Amir one of the sons of the Sharif and that the British Govt would not and could not oppose the choice. This produced an instant effect. He at once began to discuss the respective merits of Zaid and 'Abdullah but it was a point on which I refused to be drawn on the ground that it was a matter which did not concern us and our one desire was to leave to the people of Mesopotamia a free choice as to the form of government they preferred. I cannot help hoping that I convinced him on this head. In the afternoon came first Major Hay with his most interesting account of Arbil [(Hawler)]. He is just going on leave and I've told him to go and see you in London. Then Major Norbury, after 91 days' siege at Kufah [Kufah, Al], but our happiness over the safety of that garrison is cruelly dashed by the death of Capt Mann who was killed by a chance shot. I do regret him most bitterly. Major Norbury is really wonderful; he hasn't a thought of revenge or reprisals and is chiefly concerned to relate what good will he met with in many insurgent quarters. He will make pacification easy. Saiyid Husain Afnan, who came in while he was talking, was as struck as I was by his attitude. I had just embarked on a heart to heart talk with Saiyid Husain about some leading articles which he proposed to publish in his paper, when in came Mr Philby and others, and on top of them Sir Percy. Everyone but Mr Philby melted away, and we two turned to Sir Percy breathless with excitement. "Well" he said "he has accepted." He had come straight from the Naqib who had agreed to undertake the formation of the provisional govt. So the first success is scored and no one but Sir Percy could have done it. Indeed that even he should have induced the Naqib to take a hand in public affairs is nothing short of a miracle. Sir Percy's delight and satisfaction was only equal to ours and we all sat half an hour bubbling over with joy and alternately glorifying the Naqib and the High Commissioner. I woke this Sunday morning with an infinite sense of relief and sent a note to Sir Percy begging him to follow historic precedent with regard to the Seventh Day. He may well rest on his labours. The Naqib's invitations to the members of the future Cabinet will be out tomorrow. They will arouse a terrific amount of chatter but I believe the thing will go through. And this first and most difficult beginning will have been made. You mustn't however think that I'm entirely wrapped up in Mesopotamian affairs. - I also feel dreadfully anxious about the coal strike. I don't feel to know enough about it to form a proper opinion but the policy of the Govt seems to me to be so unsound economically that it's difficult to lay undivided blame on the workmen. I would rather raise money by fair and square taxation than by accidents like the enhanced price of exported coal. That appears to me to be a subterfuge. But subterfuge or not, the strike must be a terrible disaster and one can't foresee the consequences. I've had no letters for a fortnight owing, I believe, to a strike of postmen in Bombay. What a world it is! Oct 25. [25 October 1920] I've been to the office today but I'm feeling so fearfully slack that I'm thinking of going away for a day or two. My idea is to ask the Naqib whether I may go to his garden at Turjmaniyah - you remember we went to tea there with Saiyid Muhi al Din, taking with us Mrs Howell. I can't rest in Baghdad because people come to see me all the time - besides there's the nice big garden there to walk about in. Mr Philby will be seeing the Naqib this evening and he will sound him on the subject. Col. Nation came to see me 2 days ago - I was very glad to see him. He is on 4 months' leave from Persia and doing stray jobs here meantime under Gen. Hambro. The whole Financial mission is as he says "on the ice", i.e. no one knows what will happen till the Persian Majlis has assembled and accepted (or not) the Anglo-Persian agreement. I gather (but he spoke in veiled terms for other people were there) that he has had about as much as he can stand, if not more, of Mr Armitage Smith. He sent you many messages. I've just had my carpets all put down after having them up all summer. They look so nice. Don't be at all anxious about my health. Capt. Braham examined me today and said the bronchitis was completely gone and the lung absolutely clear. I'm taking a tonic and shall be all right after a day or two's rest. Ever dearest your very affectionate daughter Gertrude