Baghdad. July 2. Darling Father. Here is the first letter to go to you in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] via Mother. But I shall try to catch you next week on the Moldavia at Port Said which will be a very intelligent thing to do. You should arrive there about the 17th I reckon.
Your last letter ending on June 19 contained the delightful account of Frances and her baby and also of you dinner party at which were the J.M. Wilsons. As for my annals, they are now becoming very tame, I'm glad to say! The Assembly is duly passing the Organic Law which ought to be through before Sir Henry goes on leave on the 14th. Did I tell you he was going on leave? He will be away for about 2 months, leaving Nigel Davidson in command. I think it is a good plan. He needs a little rest and also it will be an advantage his seeing the authorities in London and impressing his views upon them. I entirely agree with Lord Cromer who used to say that a big official should take leave every year if possible as much for the sake of H.M.G. as for his own sake. And so far as I can see we shall be very peaceful for the next two months.

The most interesting thing which happened during this week was a performance by the R.A.F., a bombing demonstration. It was even more remarkable than the one we saw last year at the Air Force Show because it was much more real. They had made an imaginary village about a quarter of a mile from where we sat on the Diyala [(Sirwan)] dyke and the two first bombs, dropped from 3000 ft, went straight into the middle of it and set it alight. It was wonderful and horrible. They then dropped bombs all round it, as if to catch the fugitives and finally firebombs which even in the bright sunlight, made flares of bright flame in the desert. They burn through metal, and water won't extinguish them. At the end the armoured cars went out to round up the fugitives with machine guns. "And now" said the AVM wearily, "they'll insist on getting out and letting of [sic] trench mortars. They are really no good, but the men do love it so that I can't persuade them not to." Sure enough they did.

I was tremendously impressed. It's an amazingly relentless and terrible thing, war from the air.

Yesterday I rode down to see Haji Naji. I don't like riding in this weather but he was pining to see me and had sent me several messages. He is so touchingly ashamed of himself for having been frightened and bewildered into abstaining from voting on the treaty. He fears all "Landon" will hear of it and that you in particular will be disappointed, poor old darling. So I comforted him and promised to come to dinner on his roof next full moon.

Sir Henry's ADC, Capt Holt, is going on leave with him and we have got a very pleasant young flying officer to act for him, Mr Anson. I think he will be an addition to our parties on the river.

I have just been out swimming with Major Gore (Arab army) and Dr Corner, a shy young Scotchman who is in charge of the hospital. He is a very good swimmer. It wsa a blazing hot afternoon and the air as we went up in the launch burnt like fire. You can't think how delicious it is to drop into the cool swift water. And one keeps the impression of it all the evening.

Sulaiman Fattah, whom you so kindly had to lunch, came to see me on Sunday. He has just returned and has been appointed head of the cadet school. I think he has profited a great deal from his year in England and he is gratifyingly eager to set to work. He came home via French north Africa and has come to the wholesome conclusion that there is no Arab people which is being given the chance which we are giving them here.

Oh darling, I wonder if they are men enough to take it! They have learnt a great deal from the performances of the Constituent Assembly. They have now, all the sober ones, formed themselves into a solid group and they work together and carry the Organic Law clause by clause, defeating every attempt on the part of the opposition to introduce impossible amendments. That's something - it's an advance in political experience. But one after another, the shaikhs come to me and say "Next election mustn't be like the last. The Govt must choose the men to be elected and must choose them well. That is what the Turks did and we're not accustomed to anything else."

In point of fact I think it is what the Govt must do for some time to come. Democratic institutions, taken raw are certain to be indigestible. But truly there is good stuff in these people if we can keep the good stuff on the surface and not let it be swamped by the skum [sic].

I've no doubt I shall have a word from you from Port Said telling me of your travels. I shall love to hear about Ceylon and Elsa and Herbert. Ever, dearest, your very affectionate daughter Gertrude.