The Foreign Service Journal, January 2005

‘Hey, presto’ for an Arab govern- ment to leap on to the stage, with another Athene springing from the forehead of Zeus. You may say if you like that Sir Percy will play the role of Zeus, but his Athene will find the stage encumbered by such trifles as the Shiah [sic] problem, the tribal problem and other matters, over which even a goddess might easily stumble.” And in another letter, “One of the papers says, quite right- ly, that we had promised an Arab government with British advisers, and had set up a British government with Arab advisers. That’s a perfect- ly fair statement. ...” In a retrospective summary of con- ditions in Iraq at independence — inserted among Gertrude’s letters by her stepmother, for their posthumous publication — Percy Cox noted among other things that “the most thorny problem on the Euphrates at that time (early 1920s) was not so much the tribes as the holy cities of Islam, Karbala and Najaf.” The sheiks of these towns, given small monthly allowances and sent home with orders to maintain law and order, “were found to be abusing their positions and making hay while the sun shone; while, worse still, the existence of a brisk trade in supplies to the enemy, both on the Iraq front and in Syria, was brought to light.” Despite such difficulties, by August 1921 Gertrude could write tri- umphantly that it had been a difficult week but “we have got our king” — in no small part because of her efforts. In addition to the political maneuver- ing to bring about the new country and drawing its borders, she took on the traditional female tasks of finding King Faisal a house, decorating it, and preparing it for his arrival in Baghdad. She advised him about his coronation clothes, and those of his son, and designed a flag, and helped plan the ceremony itself. Bell stayed on as general guide, confidante, and friend of the king who, Wallach writes, became a bit restive under her constant watchful eye. She really felt she belonged nowhere else, despite medical J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 51 By August 1921 Gertrude could write triumphantly that it had been a difficult week but “we have got our king” — in no small part because of her efforts.