Page 237 - Life of Gertrude Bell

THE MANDATE 111
passing cloud and in reply said that I hoped it would have
passed before my answer arrived. In these circumstances, were
I coming soon, I should have asked you to reconsider the idea
of dispensing with individual’s services from April and letting
matter stand over until I came as I think I could find use for — .
As things arc I stay here until late May and then run home as I
hope ... so I feel less justified in tying your hands.

Neverdielcss Cox felt that it would be a terrible blow to the
‘individual’ and if relations were still strained he recommended
Wilson to give ‘individual’ leave for the hot season. In the mean­
time, he said, if Wilson approved, he would write ‘to individual
and say that if correspondence with people in high places is in­
dulged in over your head and possibly on lines opposed to your
views, misunderstandings are inevitable and only right course is
to observe complete loyalty to you ... I will wait for the sign
from you.’ A letter from Cox to Gertrude, dated November 9th,
1919 and delivered on February 9th, 1920 read: ‘Dear Khatun,
It is good to know that you are back; how I wish we could for­
gather and have a confab. What a lot you must know of the doings
of the mighty! ... Your welcome letter of August 7 th took three
months to reach here ... ’ On it Wilson had written: ‘Miss Bell —
what an extraordinarily long time this has taken to come.’ The
triangular dispute was perhaps not so very confidential.
On March 19th AT had written to Sir Percy in response to a
telegram from Tehran: ‘I hope to meet bis father shortly and I shall
then suggest to him the necessity for inducing his son to spend the
hot weather or part of it away from Mesopotamia. Apart from this
the situation has in other respects somewhat improved. Neverthe­
less, the correspondence continues. I regard it obviously with
suspicion and I care not whether it is well intentioned or in con­
formity with my views or not. I think therefore, that a communi­
cation from you along die lines suggested would be of use.’
This correspondence occurred at the worst possible dme. Iraq
was on the point of revolt when it started. Rebellion had broken
out when it came to the boil. Meanwhile Sir Percy arrived in
London to advise the Cabinet in person on its Mesopotamian and
Arabian policies. On July 14th Wilson wrote to him at the India
Office and at last he came out into the open:
If you can find a job for Miss Bell at home I think you will be
well advised to do so. Her irresponsible activities are a source