Baghdad July 20 Dearest Father. Thank you so much for telegraphing to me about Moll - it is excellent news. And also Belloved family thank you for your good wishes for my birthday.
I have written a long letter to Domnul this week with an outline of our politics - perhaps he would be so obliging as to send it to you if you asked him; I forgot to tell him. There's nothing you don't know, I think, but it gives the general story on the broadest lines. We are pretty much in status quo but the tribes show signs of willingness to come to terms. The two big groups in the Shamiyah, Khaza'il and Bani Hasan have come out, or say they have, for they haven't done anything. The Khaza'il you didn't see; they are with Capt. Mann near Umm al Ba'rar, very important people. There appears to be no kind of animus against him; they assured him of their intention to support us till a few days ago and when they made up their minds that they would have to join the national movement they told him he was to ask them for a pass to go wherever he wanted. He said he didn't want to go anywhere yet and remains at Umm al Ba'rur. The Bani Hasan are divided into 2 groups under 2 brothers. The shaikh of the N. group, Umran, came to see us at Tuwairij [Hindiyah, Al (Tuwayrij)], if you remember, and spent the time telling me that he regarded it as disastrous that Major Tyler, whom he loves, should go on leave at this juncture. Perhaps if Major T. had remained he could have kept the Hindiyah in hand. Even so Umran isn't really out, half the time he is helping us. The other brother, Alwan, near Kufah [Kufah, Al], has always been much less stable. He is supposed to be out now, but I don't think he has done much. In Baghdad matters stand still. One or two of the ex-deputies have accepted the invitation to form a committee and I hear of two having refused. I strongly suspect that if Saiyid Talib comes up he can get the thing going.

G.H.Q. has come back for good, even Gen. Hambro who I gather was the most reluctant. He came back yesterday. I'm going to drive with him this afternoon. I went to tea with Sir Aylmer and Gen. Stewart last week and afterwards we went up in a launch to above Kadhimain [(Al Kazimiyah)]. Sir A. was extremely nice and sensible. We talked at length over all that was happening and I made suggestions which the 2 approved. Subsequently I sent AT [Wilson] a small memo which I should think he put into the waste paper basket. The point was that we should try to negotiate with the tribes by means of a weighty native committee and I suggested that the Naqib's advice should be asked and indicated suitable persons as members. Sir A. is all for compromise but the worst is he carries no weight because of his complete ignorance of the country - even it's geography is a perpetual mystery to him! Mr Tod has gone to Persia for a few days. Aurelia dined with me, the rest of the party being Gen. Lubbock (heart broken about the destruction on his railway) and Capt. Clayton. Aurelia is still not very well. On the other hand Rishan has completely recovered. My household has been enlarged by the gift (from Sa'dun Beg Shawi, the Mayor's son) of a very young mongoose. It's a most attractive little beast and I hope it will become quite tame. It sat in my hand this morning and eat fried eggs like a Christian.

The weather is fortunately mild, only about 106 degrees. It's lucky for I see no immediate prospect of getting away to the Lloyds. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude