Oct 7 Baghdad Dearest Father. I have your letter of Sep 22 and the lovely chain which is much admired. Thank you so much for it. I think it's so pretty and I love wearing it. So you are back in the thick of it and a dissolution impending, I suppose. We feel that all the trouble we took with the Labour members and Lord Thomson was rather wasted! However, perhaps our bread will come back to us even from the waters of opposition. They won't win the election, will they? but who will? I don't the least want to see the Conservatives in again with the futile Baldwin as P.M. Almost less the Liberals, except that they would probably not wander off into the swamps of protection. In fact, I can't think what is going to happen and I hope you will tell me. The Russian treaty seems to me rather a silly business, but it really comes to so little, and Europe looks as if it had a chance of clearing up - why change horses?
I had a delightful day with the King at his farm. I arrived about 6.15 a.m. after a comfortable night in the train and a bath in my carriage, to find he had gone out shooting. So I joined him and we chased partridge happily till 9 when it began to get rather hot and we came back to the tents where he received some callers. I taught him a patience and we lunched. It was very hot between 12 and 3. I retired to my tent, took off all the clothes I decently could, opened two sides of the tent, and lay on my bed reading Pendennis. At 3 we had tea; it was beginning to cool down. We got first into motor cars and then onto horses and explored the south east part of the estate getting back in the dark at 6. The Russians destroyed all the villages in 1917 since when the whole place has lain barren. But it is a wonderful piece of country with heaps of water and H.M. is full of schemes for growing hemp and cotton. It's about 20 miles from Khanaqin with a lovely view of the Persian hills from the tell where our tents were pitched and where the house will be.

We had baths and changed and then dined together under the stars, and the King opened his heart and told me how lonely he was and how he looked forward to coming up to this estate as a means of escaping from the dull round of palace and office which was all that Baghdad offered him. I was so glad I had come; he would have been quite alone if I had not and he wanted someone to talk to about his plans and to say what fun it would be and how we would all come shooting with him and be keenly interested in what he was doing. Besides I enjoyed it enormously; I too felt like a prisoner escaped; after the long summer in Baghdad it was so delicious to get out into the country and see the country people and the birds and the mountains, and think of something that wasn't politics.

I left about 10 at night; the train was stopped to pick me up and I got to Baghdad at 7.30 and was in office 3/4 of an hour later.

On Saturday J.M. Wilson came back which is a great pleasure. He dined with me on Sunday, Nigel and Mr Cooke the party. I am so glad to have him here again. Mrs Wilson comes later - after Xmas.

But the great event of Sunday was the arrival of the Amir Ghazi, the King's only son. He was due to arrive at 4.30 but at lunch time we heard that he would be late so after having Nuri to lunch to meet a man from the Air Ministry - a very profitable meeting it was - I went at 4 o'clock to Sasun's house and played bridge with him and Yasin and Sayid Husain Afnan to fill in the time. At 6 we motored out past the place near the station where the reception was to be held and on to the bridge {near} over the Khuri canal on the Ramadi [Ramadi, Ar] road - a mile or so from Baghdad. It was absolutely still. The earth looked impalpable veiled in floating layers of dust above which glowed the end of the sunset with a quarter moon high in heaven. Just as we reached the bridge a car came dashing through the dust veils. It was Ghazi with Muhsin Beg. They stopped when they saw us and we all got out and were introduced to him. He is very little for his age. He has the long sensitive face of his father and charming manners, a shy dignity which is most engaging. Yasin got into his car and Muhsin came with Sasun and me. He is delighted with Ghazi, says he is very intelligent and most eager to learn about everything. He looked a very little boy as he sat in the big tent under flaring lights with all the ministers and notables round him. Sir Henry came in after we arrived and sat by him. After a few minutes his procession was formed and he went off to the palace. I came home with Major Pulley . The whole town had turned out. The streets were packed, more even that when Faisal came.

The next day I was called up to the palace to help to choose Ghazi's clothes. There was an English tailor from Bombay with patterns. So we chose his little shirts and suits, the tailor behaving like a tailor in Thackeray. He skipped about, pointed his toe and handed me patterns with one hand on his heart. Ghazi came in to be measured, half shy and half pleased.

The King is much relieved at Husain's resignation, and hopes that 'Ali will be acceptable to the Moslem world. I do pray that Husain won't take refuge here; he would be a centre for every kind of mischief, anti-Faisal, anti-British.

Nigel leaves for good next Sunday - I am very sorry he is going. He has been an angel of kindness to me this summer. I shall tell him, if he is in London, to telephone and find out if you're there.

Elsa writes that she is bringing Mary which is rather a bore as I can't possibly put them all three up, so I shall have to let Herbert go to the A.V.M. which means that I shall see little of him. Also I shall never have Elsa to myself. However you need not mention these grumblings.

Goodbye dearest. I shall look forward to your letters. Reuter says the Govt may go out today! Your very affectionate daughter Gertrude