Baghdad Jan 27 Dearest Father. You hadn't had a letter from me when you wrote on Jan. 13. I wrote but the fact is that in winter the cars sometimes miss. For instance, this week I have had all your letters which you very wisely sent by air mail and no overland mail. We have had very heavy rains and I suppose the cars have got bogged - the 'Amman route is the very deuce in wet weather. I always write, as you do, by air mail when there is one. There's not one this week and it's possible this letter may miss.
I've got the note paper, thank you very much.

Every letter I get from you I realize more fully what a terrific shave for his life Hugo has had. Indeed I was not far wrong, was I, in thinking that he was dead. Frances sounds so wonderful - what luck that he has such a wife. Elsa says the little John boy is such a darling.

My news isn't much. It has been bad weather and I have done very little but work. The horrible annual report can't make the League of Nations yawn more than I have over it. It's the dullest thing I've ever written. As Mother is accustomed to say, it's so much more interesting to write about wicked people than good ones and the same applies to states. The better we get the duller we shall be.

Incidentally I have read the enchanting volume of Page's letters to President Wilson which Aunt Maisie angelically sent me. Is not he the best letter writer that ever was. Do you remember when Licknowsky accuse the U.S.A. of putting of the efil [sic] day in Mexico and Page replies: "What better can you do with an evil day than put it off."

Now do you know, that is what I feel about leaving here. I simply can't bear to think of it and I don't.

I had (this is for your private ear and Mother's) the most pitiful letter from Lisa to whom I had written for Xmas with a presentiment that things had gone wrong. I feel sure I need not try to find epithets for R.R. for you must have found them all yourself, but what I wish to say (to you and Mother only) is that when I think of all his pi-jaw and peacejaw and the rest, and then of what he does, I feel sick on the spot. No doubt you do too. But the most awful experience is the crumbling of an idol and that is why I am so infinitely sorry for Lisa, fine creature that she is.

The event of the week was a state dinner given by Bernard to celebrate the treaty. We were 36 people, Violet and I the only women for there simply wasn't room for the English wives. Fortunate it is that the Arabs don't have wives who go to state dinners. We had awful emotions about inviting the leader of the opposition, Yasin Pasha. H.M. was so angry with him that he didn't want him asked, Ken agreed, Bernard had forgotten to talk to me about it and I hadn't thought much about it. But suddenly on Sunday night my brain began to work and I realized what a real error it would be to leave him out. Slippery as an eel, he is the best brain here and he is bound to be in office again some time. Also the King and the High Commissioner are above party politics - and so on. So on Monday morning I went and put the case to Bernard whom I found more than half seas over already and the upshot of it was that it was all settled with H.M. and Bernard sent a message to Yasin asking if he were coming as he had received no answer to the invitation (which hadn't gone.) And Yasin came, that was the triumph; he came blithely though he must have known that the missing invitation was fudge. He didn't want to be left out by the High Commissioner; that shows what the High Commissioner stands for here. I sat by the Prime Minister, whom I love, and he confided to me how glad he was that Yasin had been asked and that he himself hadn't known before hand, whereupon Bernard who was on my other side told me to relate to Muhsin Beg exactly what had happened. This I did and the P.M. chuckled. Bernard made a really capital speech; the King responded well and the P.M. got up and delivered a few fiery sentences extempore. As we went out of the dining room the P.M. stopped and shook hands with Yasin to whom he hadn't spoken since Yasin walked out of the house with his 18 and the rest of them passed the treaty. There was reason for vexation for everyone knows, and indeed some of the opposition frankly say, that if they had been in office they would have carried the treaty themselves! As for us, well all behaved to Yasin as if we hadn't noticed anything which is such a splendid attitude!

Yesterday I went to see H.M. and ex-King 'Ali, a very attractive and pathetic figure. He is meant for a life of contemplation I should say, not for war and politics. It was only after I had been introduced that I remembered that I hadn't asked what I was to call him, so I made a lightning calculation and addressed him as Your Majesty. I was right, I find. Bernard had done the same; Ken tactlessly asked Faisal who like the caterpillar drew himself up to his full height in silent indignation. Ken said feebly that he himself had dropped the title of Colonel (which he has every right and no reason to use) but the King wasn't amused.

And now, confound it, I'm going to see the Queen. It's so muddy that one can't do anything so I thought I had better do my duty and visit her. She is so boring. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude.

I'm going with Lionel to Ur on Tuesday and shall be away 5 or 6 days, but I will leave a word to be sent by next mail so as not to miss a week.