Baghdad Nov 28 Dearest Father. I am having by far the most interesting time of my life and thank Heaven I am now well and can grapple with it adequately. The Franco-British Declaration (published I think somewhat prematurely) has thrown the whole town into a ferment. It doesn't happen often that people are told that their future as a State is in their hands and asked what they would like. They are all talking and mercifully they all come in to me with the greatest eagerness to discuss what they think. On two points they are practically all agreed, they want us to control their affairs and they want Sir Percy as High Commissioner. Beyond that all is divergence. Most of the town people want an Arab Amir but they can't fix upon the individual. My belief is (but I don't yet know) that the tribal people in the rural districts will not want any Amir so long as they can have Sir Percy - he has an immense name among them - and personally I think that would be best. It's an immense business setting up a court and a power. Meantime public opinion is very jumpy and the most unexpected things set the town afire with almost childish indignation. Every word we say they regard as pointing to things we have in our hearts which we won't fully explain. The whole situation requires very delicate handling. I'm not in the least anxious about the future but I do most certainly feel that we can't be too wary at this moment when the public mind is so fluid that anything serves to direct it in one direction or another. I always speak quite frankly and they believe me I think. They know I have their interests more deeply at heart than anything else and they trust me in the same sort of way that they trust Sir Percy. I'm so thankful to be here at this time; whatever happens I must remain till Sir Percy is brought back. We've telegraphed very fully, A.T. Wilson  and I, and I think we have given a just view of the state of things.
I spend most of my mornings in talk and don't do much work. The C. in C. has been a great help. He is very wise and moderate and I seek his counsel, not having Sir Percy. He broke his collar bone 10 days ago playing polo, poor dear, and had a very uncomfortable day or two, but he is now rapidly mending. In a way it has been rather a good thing, for I can go in at tea time and always find him free to listen to the talk of the day and advise upon it. He is immensely interested and indeed it's not possible to be anything else.

I've had two very agreeable days jaunting. Once I took the Bp of Singapore, who is here on a visit, to Babylon. We went down the new rly by trolley in 2½ hours - the hard 2 days' ride it used to be! It was a lovely day and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I think the Bp and his Chaplain did too. The Bp is very austere and looked rather askance at the Chaplain and me when we made merry at lunch over a split beer and soda water, but when I declared I must have a cigarette and sent an Arab of my acquaintance to get some, the Bp relaxed and had one too. As for the chaplain he felt he really was seeing life. As we trolleyed back the Bp happened to talk about the story of Rachel, and I seeing all the Rachels coming down with their pitchers to the canals, and also the Abrahams standing in their black tents, reflected aloud and observed that it was very curious how these old Semitic tribal stories had got mixed up in the Xian religion. The Bp was rather taken aback and then said fatuously "I suppose they were all making for better things." I should have like to ask him what he meant, but he couldn't have found an answer.

I'm quite sure that I prefer Generals to Bps. Two days later I went (again by trolley) with Generals Lubbock and Stuart Wortley to Ba'qubah to see the Nestorian refugee camp. We have 40,000 of them; they trampled down from Urumiyah [Orumiyeh (Urmia)] to escape from the Turks. Such an exodus - there they are, destitute except for the cattle they brought with them. The camp is wonderful - like a huge town on the banks of the Diyalah [Diyala (Sirwan)]. A very nice old General, namens Austen is in charge. We lunched with him and he took me all over - hospitals, orphanages, bazaars, all under canvass. Then I walked with my generals in the orange gardens on the other bank, made friends with one of the proprietors and came away laden with oranges. Ba'qubah oranges are certainly the most beautiful in the world. The gardens are an amazing sight now - 5 and 6 huge yellow globes hanging clustered on the boughs - all the groves aglow with them. Finally yesterday the sister of the Nestorian patriarch came to spend the day with me here. She's a remarkable woman but rather tiring. I gave her woollen clothes, shoes, stockings, everything you can think of and all she said was couldn't I give her some stays. Neither you nor I would have thought of that. Well I haven't any, nor have had for a year or more so that was that. Goodbye my dearest. I'm quite the politician at present. Your very affectionate daughter Gertrude

Father, I've another scheme. If you don't want to come as far as Baghdad, you might meet me in Egypt in March and we would go up to Syria together - I want a fortnight there on my way home. We would stay a few days first with the High Commissioner in Cairo and then go up by train. Of course I would love to show you Baghdad and the people here would make such a fuss over you. But you might come back with me here in Oct. for a month, for I think I must spend next winter here. Musa Chalabi, my landlord, has given me my garden in perpetuity. I've said we'll share it - he summer, I winter, and that will just be right for it's summer he wants. I'm building another room. It's a great comfort for now I have a permanent place here, always ready for me, not only lovely but absolutely suited to my needs. I must bring out some linen and crockery next winter, and a little furniture. Mine's of the roughest kind.