Page 263 - Life of Gertrude Bell

FAISALJS KINGDOM 239
husband made his peace with Faisal for not being present at the
ceremonial visit.
While the charade of parading Faisal through Iraq to seek the
approval of the people went on during the two months following
his arrival in the country, Churchill drove a carriage and pair
through the war-time agreements with France and the Sharif. The
old man of Mecca was being repaid by the appointment of
Abdullah to the throne of Transjordan and of Faisal to that of
Iraq. Meanwhile Churchill confirmed that Palestine was to remain
a British mandate open to Jewish setdement, listening first to
Lawrence then to Meinertzhagen among his counsellors in White­
hall, each claiming in turn that Britain was turning its back on
solemn promises. Lawrence was still publicly proclaiming the
rights of the Sharif and representing himself as the fountain­
head of all that happened in the war in Arabia, and all that
followed from it. ‘Fie told me,’ wrote Meinertzhagen, ‘that he
craved to be famous and had a horror of being known to like
being known ... ’ Again according to Meinertzhagen, TEL won­
dered if all established reputations were ‘founded like mine, on
fraud’. ‘I’m terribly sorry for the little man. He has such charm
and has got himself into a deplorable mess.’ While Cox and
Gertrude worked to gain public support for Faisal in Iraq,
Churchill was discussing their efforts at dinner with Shuckburgh
and Freddie Guest, Secretary to the Air Council, and with his
advisers. ‘I was much struck by the attitude of Winston towards
Lawrence, which almost amounted to hero worship/ wrote
Meinertzhagen. ‘Winston asked him question after question ...
Lawrence, who is as quick as a monkey in conversation, took full
advantage of this and took care not to say anything which would
be unpleasant hearing, interlarding his remarks with a suitable
amount of flattery. Winston revelled in it, but to Shuckburgh and
me it was nothing but nauseating. He ... spoke eulogistically of
Faisal and Abdullah. The latter worthless Arab has proved his
worthlessness in Transjordan, but Lawrence still sees advantages
to us in keeping him there, drawing a huge salary for doing
nothing ... It is clear that Lawrence, with his mad, self-seeking
pan-Arab policy, pays no account to what the policy is costing the
country, and Winston is quite prepared to spend hundreds of
thousands on bolstering the effete House of Husain, and in paying
subsidies to Husain’s enemies to keep quiet. Heaven knows where
this mad policy is going to lead us.’ Meinertzhagen told Churchill