AMBASSADOR TO ARABS

Evening Star, Issue 24281, 24 August 1942, Page 2

AMBASSADOR TO ARABS

FORMER GRILL HALL OFFICER MAJOR G. S. J. BERKELEY IN IRAQ Major-C. S. J. Berkeley, who, fori IS months following the outbreak of war-, was records officer at the Kensington, Drill Hall, is now stationed “ some- • where in Iraq,” where he is;an ambassador’s representative. This information is contained in a long letter received by Staff-sergeant C. H. Beck, of the records office personnel, whoj worked under Major (then Captain)] Berkeley in those early days. j Major Berkeley devotes a fair amounti" of space to describing his quarters,-, which comprise, a house of the bungalow? type, with a “modern w.c. and bathroom ■ which, the 1 city corporation M kindly put in for me.” He describes the colour scheme used in furnishings j and decorations, and it certainly sounds as if a woman’s colour instinct was l never brought to bear here. Indeed, he says, “ I have been much perplexed;! with the decorations and furnishings.”) but otherwise the quarters seem to bevery comfortable. There is even an ice, chest, and surprisingly one reads that? - “ ice is cheap and plentiful.” At the time of writing the towni where Major Berkeley is stationed was, anticipating a visit from the Regents “I am to be one of the first to meotl him when he arrives, to dine privately’’ with him afterwards, and to go to the ‘speechifying’ on the second day. E have also been asked by the mayor to ba present at a lunch to him on the second day, hut I have an emissary whose* job it is to try and get me out of this*! Three times is enough; ' - “My work so far has been veryf? pleasant, to entertain and to be enter-5' tained. I don’t mind entertainment* during the morning and early evening so long as I am free to have a quiet? dinner. As I know most of the sheika and as they all knew me or of me before, my work with them is easy. They) all nave high expectations of what ij can do, for them. As a matter of according to them, their lot is already? much better. The trouble is that they) do hot get on with the many Arab) officials in this province, and they stater that my presence here has done away? with the ill-treatment they say they? experienced before. “ When I was in the district E; put a bund across a river so as to? force the water down another brand iJ That -was 20 years ago, and it_ a big tribe to grow crops, which they?.' could not do before. The Arab Go*j vernment put a permanent barragar where I had my bund, and another); barrage on the Tigris, so many mile* away, so as to force water down a lithe year, at a cost of over £1,000,000v Now other tribes are wanting watery and they’say that they are relying oh| me to get it for .them! It is extra-) ordinary how the Arabs bring ujh things I had long forgotten. _ “There are about half a million sons in this province.. About a .third* of it is swamp, for which portion B am trying to get a motor launch. I “I very seldom see a white man. U have armed Arabs from trusted sheikuj as a guard at night, hut they are hardly® necessary, as this place is more or less? built as a fort. However, a couple o* New Zealand Division- war correspond 'dents'are probably coming up here soom to write up my work, so you may react?' something about me, or perhaps see me on the films, as one is a cinema man. “ Last year a fellow named Captaiflj Jefferies, who served with me in tin* country 20 years ago, was murdered itf this town while on an official visit. On®, man has been hanged, but it is my 10a; if possible to get full justice done. Myjj duty is very much like that of an am* bassador, probably a little more diuM cult than that of an ordinary ambassa* dor.” . . Even in far-away Iraq the_ ‘ Star ’ finds its corner. Major Berkeley states the interest with which !:», read in a cony of the ‘ Star ’ that Staffi) sergeant Beck had given evidence against a military defaulter in th4< Police Court. It was that paragraph*, indeed, which prompted the letter. Major Berkeley concludes by. wishing to be remembered to all his old friend# ’ in Dunedin.