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Updated June 2012
T. E. Lawrence to Colonel S. F. Newcombe
Amman.
8.XI.21
Dear S.F.N.,
There's only one thing to tell the French: that the catching of assassins is no doubt desirable, and one of the functions of government: but that we in Trans-Jordan have first to make the government, and then to make public opinion disapprove of political assassination. After this the capture of assassins becomes timely. Meanwhile it would be silly, and I'll have no part in it. We cannot afford to chuck away our hopes of building something to soothe our neighbour's feelings: and the French have made our job here as difficult as possible - if it is possible at all - by their wanton disregard of the common decencies observed between nations.
Please remind them that they shot Arab prisoners after Meisalun and plundered the houses and goods of Feisal and his friends. The dirty-dog work has been fairly shared, and I thank what Gods I have that I'm neither an Arab nor a Frenchman - only the poor brute who has to clean up after them.
Last week we went to Maan by train and trolly: as soon as we get a petrol depot in Maan we'll go to Tebuk. Have got an excellent trolly thanks to Holmes who's a Prince.
If you can, drop over here friendly-fashion some time, and I'll show you the French picture from underneath. Not lovely,
à toi
TEL.
| Source: | DG 336 |
| Checked: | jw/ |
| Last revised: | 26 January 2006 |
T. E. Lawrence chronology
1888 16 August: born at Tremadoc, Wales
1896-1907: City of Oxford High School for Boys
1907-9: Jesus College, Oxford, B.A., 1st Class Hons, 1909
1910-14: Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy), while working at the British Museum's excavations at Carchemish
1915-16: Military Intelligence Dept, Cairo
1916-18: Liaison Officer with the Arab Revolt
1919: Attended the Paris Peace Conference
1919-22: wrote Seven Pillars of Wisdom
1921-2: Adviser on Arab Affairs to Winston Churchill at the Colonial Office
1922 August: Enlisted in the Ranks of the RAF
1923 January: discharged from the RAF
1923 March: enlisted in the Tank Corps
1923: translated a French novel, The Forest Giant
1924-6: prepared the subscribers' abridgement of Seven Pillars of Wisdom
1927-8: stationed at Karachi, then Miranshah
1927 March: Revolt in the Desert, an abridgement of Seven Pillars, published
1928: completed The Mint, began translating Homer's Odyssey
1929-33: stationed at Plymouth
1931: started working on RAF boats
1932: his translation of the Odyssey published
1933-5: attached to MAEE, Felixstowe
1935 February: retired from the RAF
1935 19 May: died from injuries received in a motor-cycle crash on 13 May
1935 21 May: buried at Moreton, Dorset