Baghdad July 7 Dearest Father. First your letter of June 23 - thank you for the picture of Kippen[?]; it looks very attractive. Also for your excellent letter in the Times of June 24. And I don't think I told you that I read the Iron and Steel Institute address but didn't derive much comfort from it. The graph that he gives is very discouraging. I take it that the repeal of the 7 hours' bill will free your hands and I am most anxious to see whether any large proportion of the men will accept the owners' terms. The extravagant language of the labour leaders gives one a feeling that they fear that they are beaten. I hope that is so.
It was very nice that the girls thought you were more amusing that they had been led to expect, bless you.

I am terribly afraid that your next letter will tell me that Eric is dead. I have not written to Blanche because with a ten days' post one doesn't know what may have happened in the interval.

I had another farewell picnic to the Joyces on Sunday, their departure having been delayed. It was a deliciously cool evening - the temp has dropped again - and we enjoyed it. Ken and his colleague, Major Wilson (a nice creature) and I went up first and swam, and the Joyces joined us at dinner. We all came back by launch.

It had been very hot in the morning in the Museum but we have now changed into a north room and had a fan put into it which makes it comparatively luxurious. We can work there quite comfortably without a fan on weekdays when we leave at 8.30, but on Sundays, when we stay till 1, it is essential to have a cool room. I have got a few standard cases and hope to have the seal case this week. But there is so much to learn; one constantly finds that the things don't exactly serve one's purpose and they have to be modified. However, both we and the carpenters are learning gradually. S/L Harnett is very helpful. This morning he made some beautiful little stands of twisted wire for heavy pointed stone vases.

Percy Loraine was here on Monday on his way home. He is very sad at leaving Persia where he has been for 4 years and has made a great success. I am not sure, however, that he is not going at the pschological [sic] moment. He has put his money on Riza Shah - indeed he was the only horse to back; but accounts of Persia are disquieting, the civil administration is terribly bad, corruption growing, the army unpaid and living on the country, and also mutinying. Riza Shah may or may not make good; if he doesn't it will be even worse chaos. But anyhow it is going to be very difficult.

Sir Henry gave a dinner party for Percy which was rather pleasant. He had some Russian dancers afterwards and we sat in the large cool ball room watching them and feeling quite civilized! I liked seeing Percy; he is a very faithful friend.

Iltyd came down from Mosul [Mawsil, Al] yesterday for a few days, to my great joy. He comes swimming with us this afternoon, a nice addition to our party. The W.O. has given him another year out here and it will probably end in their letting him stay on, as he is very much wanted. He is an extremely useful person.

I have been having very busy mornings, lots of despatches to write and long things to do. Sir Henry is delightful to work with, but he is most careful of detail and one has to pay great attention to what one is doing. His own work is admirable, I think.

Darling, I must stop now; summer does not conduce to the writing of very long letters. Your loving daughter Gertrude