Baghdad Sep 19 Dearest Father. There's a general improvement in the situation. The Persian line is not yet open, but our troops have joined up in the middle and the tribesmen are all busily coming in. I think I shall send you a confidential document describing the interview between the P.O.'s and the shaikhs which does more than anything to explain the general basis of the rising. Of course the shaikhs have been at pains to whitewash themselves - they are not such a perfect combination of Solomon and the angel Gabriel as they seek to make out, but on the whole they put the case pretty accurately. We didn't show any signs of an intention to fulfil our promises; as far as the local administration was concerned we didn't intend to fulfil them if we could possibly help it. It's true that in May AT [Wilson] made a complete volte face. His change of tone co-incided with the granting of the mandate but it also unfortunately co-incided with the agitation in Baghdad and the shaikhs and others may be pardoned for thinking that it was due to the latter rather than to the former. Also - lâchons le mot - the agitation has succeeded. No one, not even H.M.G., would have thought of giving the Arabs such a free hand as we shall now give them - as a result of the reBellions! Whether it will be to their ultimate advantage, whether it won't rather retard than advance the growth and development of the modern state which is what the ardent younger nationalists are out for - secondary schools, universities, technical colleges and all complete - is another question. Personally I think it sets the clock back 50 years, and personally I'm not sure that I mind. I'm pretty certain that my ardent young friends would have poured the new wine into the old bottles a great deal too abundantly. We should have been swamped in it, let alone being drunk. I'm therefore glad to think that what will have restrained us from setting up too exact an administration will also trip them up. And after all a couple of generations isn't much in eternity; there's not, I mean, all that damned hurry. But the fact that we are really guilty of an initial mistake makes it very difficult to answer letters like those of T.E. Lawrence. I believe them to be wholly misleading but to know why they're misleading requires such an accurate acquaintance not only with the history of the last two years but also with the country and the people, apart from our dealings with them, that I almost despair of putting public opinion in England right. I can't believe that T.E.L. is in ignorance and I therefore hold him to be guilty of the unpardonable sin of wilfully darkening counsel. We have got a difficult enough task before us in this country; he is making it more difficult by leading people to think that it's easy. How can it be easy when you're called upon to reconcile the views and ideals of a tribal population which hasn't changed one shade of a thought during the last 5000 years, and of a crude and impatient band of urban politicians who blame you for not setting up universities? If you ask where the money is to come from, they say from the Government and they've not got down to the fact that the government hasn't a penny which isn't taken from the pockets of the people. For that matter, we don't seem to have arrived at that conclusion even in England. I'll give you a charming example of another kind: they want manhood suffrage "as it was in the time of the Turks." Sure enough the Turks had manhood suffrage - on paper. In point of fact no tribesman ever registered himself, because registration meant that he would be liable for conscription. Therefore the whole rural population was unrepresented, and ils se fichaient pas mal. It meant and it means nothing to them. Incidentally observe that if you're looking to a conscript army here, the same phenomena will be reproduced. If on the other hand you're looking to a voluntary army you'll have to pay the current rate of wages, or rather more, to induce them to leave their homes. That's 2 to 3 rupees a day which works out at about £100 a year per man - pretty expensive in a budding state where the greater part of the population would vote, if it voted, for no taxation! And TEL talks of two divisions as if they could be created tomorrow. Where's the money coming from? It's really getting cooler. Last week the temp. was seldom over 100° and this morning when I was out riding it was quite cold. I suppose it may have been 70°. Yesterday after having Mina 'Abbad to tea - you remember the nice old Christian woman we went to tea with, she sent you many messages - I walked with Rishan to the garden where the Tods play tennis, outside the S. gate. Sir Aylmer saw us over the broken wall and we walked back together by the river. I laid before him my views on disarmament, about which he was very enthusiastic; but as he knows nothing of the difficulties to be overcome his enthusiasm isn't so encouraging as it might be. Hasan Suhail came in yesterday, the shaikh of the Bani Tamim at Aqarquf. I was glad to see him. We have been in great anxiety about him because, Dhari, the shaikh who murdered Leachman was camped near him and we were constantly bombing him. Hasan couldn't leave because he was afraid of Dhari who was much stronger than he, and we feared that Hasan would be bombed by mistake. We have all been doing our best for him by supplying G.H.Q. with exact information as to their respective positions. Dhari has now cleared out, deserted by most of his tribesmen, and Hasan came in beaming to pay a round of calls on us all. He is a dear. I had the American consul and Mr Engert to dinner, and Capt Clayton with them. Mr Engert is delightful. Please tell Domnul what a great pleasure it has been to see him. His enforced stay here has really been very profitable. He has seen some of our papers and we have been at great pains to explain to him the exact position. He fully understands it and is in complete sympathy. I've seen a great deal of him and I've talked to him with complete frankness which I am convinced is the proper way to behave between colleagues, especially when you're dealing with a man who has such a thorough grasp of the eastern question as he has. He regards England as the only possible curator of the near East, since the USA won't take a hand, and his line is to urge his govt to give us all moral and such material help as it can. I understand (this is strictly confidential) that he has sent a full memorandum to Washington. It can do nothing but good. I would like a few more of his kind to come and see things on the spot. As for the French consul here, I simply can't see him. I feel so bitterly hostile to French policy in the East - and indeed everywhere, that I don't believe I could be decently civil. I look forward with pleasure to the infernal toss they're going to take in Syria. I've had the information I was expecting last week from an 'Aqail caravan, direct from Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham, Damas)] and it is a good corrective to the lying communiqués which the French are issuing. I think I acknowledged your letter of Aug 11 with its very interesting enclosures from Domnul. Yes the world seems to be growing madder and madder. I don't write about Ireland and coal strikes and Russia because there seems to be nothing to say except "Oh Lor!" Sep. 20. [20 September 1920] I've just got your letter of Aug 20. What you say about my writing to Mr Asquith is remarkably interesting. I hadn't, nor could I have, any idea that AT [Wilson] would object to it because I showed it to him first and discussed several points with him. I think you will admit that that entirely clears me and I hope you will tell Domnul. I wrote because Mr A. was one of those who were constantly bringing forward the silly argument that you could evacuate Baghdad and hold on to Basrah [Basrah, Al (Basra)]. It was a point which had never once been contradicted and I thought it worth while to make its valuelessness clear to one whose words were carrying weight. AT was in complete agreement. I went on to say that I believed we could set up an Arab govt with British advisers. It was a personal opinion and I put it as such. AT's personal opinion is different - that wasn't a matter to which I alluded or had any occasion to allude. I was merely backing up the intentions of HMG. AT when he read the letter said he did not agree with my forecast but he never breathed a word about not writing it and to tell you the truth it didn't occur to me that he could possibly have any objection. Nor do I now see any reason for objection. Anyhow, I gave him the opportunity, as I always did when I wrote to anyone on political subjects and if he complained to the home authorities and didn't say that he was in full congnizance of everything I wrote, he behaved with extreme duplicity. However as he is going away this week and we are now in the most intimate relations I shall not raise the matter again. But I shall tell Sir Percy and I hope you will tell Edwin. But I hope also you will tell Domnul that there's no question of my having committed a technical breach of order since AT had read the letter before I sent it. Altogether your letter has been a great comfort to me. I am very very grateful to you for bustling up to London and seeing the Coxes. Sir Percy knows what complete confidence there is between us and that I should always tell you exactly what I think or do without any kind of reticence. That I should be able to do so is to me the foundation of existence and it is entirely owing to you that you are to me not only a Father but also the closest and most intimate friend. You have been the only person to whom I have related fully the ups and downs of these extremely difficult months and as far as anyone can relate without prejudice circumstances in which they have played a part, I have done so to you. You will therefore believe me when I tell you that it is only quite recently that I have realized how prominent a place I have occupied in the public mind here as the pro-Arab member of the administration. Over and over again lately I have heard from the frequenters of coffee shops, my own servants and casual people up and down the bazaars, that I am always quoted in the coffee shop talk as the upholder of the rights of the Arabs. I have invariably replied that the talk is incorrect; it is HMG which upholds the rights of the Arabs and we are all of us the servants of HMG. But I cannot deny my Bellief that until last April I was the only person here who genuinely and with conviction was walking in the lines which HMG had prescribed. AT told the home authorities frequently and openly that he did not believe in their policy. I did. I thought there was no other. Mr Bullard told me the other day - not at all Ö propos of me or my political views - that what he heard said was that HMG wanted to put up a [sic] Arab govt and that AT was determined to prevent it if he could. Mr Bullard spoke as if it were ridiculous, but it is in fact the exact truth, or was the exact truth until last April when AT saw he was beaten and veered round completely. I didn't say that to Mr Bullard because what's the point of saying it? it's a page that has been turned over and need not now be recapitulated. But when Capt Clayton came out here in June and read the files, he at once grasped the situation as it had been, and without the slightest prompting from me he saw it in exactly the same light as I did. I quote him as a wholely [sic] independent and unprejudiced witness. Well darling, that's that. I don't much care what anyone except you thinks of my line of conduct. I've groped in darkness with regard to my relations to AT because he has not treated me with frankness, but I believe I have faithfully adhered to the programme laid down by HMG, and I couldn't have done otherwise because it had my whole hearted adherence. I'm glad you liked Lady Cox - she has her points but they're not intellectual. The parrot I must tell you, has loved being with us. Your very affectionate daughter Gertrude Major Hay is all right, thank goodness. Col. Nalder has been a tower of strength. He has kept Mosul [Mawsil, Al] straight by sheer tact and patience.