Sunday July 11 Baghdad Dearest Father. The post this week hasn't come in because the railway is cut and the mail has to come up the Tigris - it reminds me of the good old days when the tribes used to cut Turkish communications. We're not quite so badly off as they were for they had only the Tigris and when that was blocked Baghdad was completely isolated. The Rumaithah [Rumaythah, Ar] business is however very serious. There are about 200 of our people there, mostly Indians employed on the railway and up to now we have failed to relieve them. Food is being dropped by aeroplane. As far as I can make out the matter was pretty badly handled at the beginning, partly no doubt, because of the whole of GHQ was up in the Persian hills and refused to realize the importance of the rising. Anyhow the tribes captured one or more relief trains together with the Lewis guns on them, and with the latter are making good practice on our aeroplanes when they fly low to drop food into Rumaithah. As a result of the loss of these trains, rolling stock, never very abundant is now painfully short and it becomes difficult to supply the relieving column or to send down reinforcements. The thing began by the arrest of two of the leading personages on the Dagharah [Daghgharah, Ad] canal by the P.O., Major Daly. They were being sent down to Basrah [Basrah, Al (Basra)] by train and the tribes rescued them and cut the line. It seems to me that grave blame attaches to Major Daly who ought to have known whether he was in a position to be able to take such strong measures - it being now clear that he was not. But it all has much longer roots and I and many others have always suspected that matters were going badly in the Diwaniyah [Diwaniyah, Ad] Division. Meantime it hasn't spread further. Major Norbury has had some trouble with our friends the Fatlah shaikhs. 'Abdul Wahid, the man to whose house we went, was all for stirring up trouble, but Mizhir (who was also with us that day) has stoutly refused to join in and peace has been maintained. A good deal of credit is due to Major Norbury. He and Capt. Mann have both been very wise and tactful. Here in Baghdad prospects look better. Frank has gone - a great loss - and Mr Bullard is acting for him. AT [Wilson] has got permission from home to begin active preparations for the calling of a constitutional assembly. All ex-deputies are going to be invited to meet in counsel and discuss the electoral basis and the method of election. It is, I think, rather a brilliant idea - we owe it to Mr Forbes, the Judge. (He and his wife dined one night while you were here.) On the whole the Deputies, whether they were really representative or not (and of course they weren't, being chosen by the Committee of Union and Progress) were outstanding people of some ability - the Committee took care that they should be. We had no hand in their selection; we contend that here is a body of people who were chosen under the old regime to represent the 'Iraq and that until a new body is elected these are the obvious people to call into counsel. They include the good Abdul Majid Shawi, and they also include Saiyid Talib. It will be extremely interesting to see what position he takes. For a fortnight past Frank has been pressing that we should get him up and I'm all for it. He has been sitting tight and refusing to take any part in the agitation for complete independence, from which all the notables of Basrah have definitely detached themselves. They passed a strongly worded resolution in favour of the British mandate in the Divisional Council. On the other hand the chief leaders in the movement Yusuf Suwaidi and Saiyid Muhammad Sadr, are not ex-deputies. They meantime are busy trying to nominate persons (including themselves) to go on a deputation to London. They got 4 nominated and then they all quarrelled and one of the 4 resigned. I believe today they are holding another meeting on the subject but I very much doubt whether they'll come to an agreement. But I expect if the ex-Deputy scheme catches on the deputation to London will die a natural death. Not that I personally would mind their going in the least. It would keep them harmlessly employed for the next two or three months. But I think it almost essential if we are to reach any satisfactory conclusions, that we should get over some of the Mesopotamians from Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham, Damas)]. I gather that so far H.M.G. has not given permission for this, but possibly Allenby's very strong recommendation that Ja'far Pasha should be allowed to come will make them change their mind. Sir Percy also may do something in that direction. I am rather in the dark about all this because AT never tells me anything. I fancy his chief idea is that I should be kept in my place, though what that is exactly no one can say. It seems singularly stupid, doesn't it. However I feel with him much what I feel about Mesopotamia that the great thing is to avoid open discussion till Sir Percy's return. I dined last night with the Bowmans - they had an Arab dinner party, very pleasant. And I dined at G.H.Q. Mess which was also agreeable - a singularly good dinner. And tonight I'm dining with the Kays (you don't know them, he is Director of Remounts) to meet the C in C. He came back two days ago. He came to see me but I was out. I think Gen. Hambro is also back and I gather they intend to remain while we have a battle front on the Euphrates. I went to tea at the Civil Hospital with the French nuns in order to make arrangements with Capt. Braham for the opening of a small private hospital for better class women. I have collected something over Rs 20,000 towards it and though that isn't enough to build with it will suffice to put into order and furnish a little detached building which already exists. We shall have 4 rooms each with one bed and that will make a beginning. Later if they want something better they will have to find more money for it. Monday [12 July 1920]. I've just got a delightful letter from you, June 10, and one from Mother, June 3. Your typewritten letter of that week hasn't come yet. I'm rather anxious at Mother's having bothers with her throat - I do hope she's better. I began the day by having 2 hours' talk with the Naqib. He talks a great deal of sense but it takes him a long time to say it, dear old thing. Bless you both Belloved parents. Your affectionate daughter Gertrude