p.

7.

It seems that Jack's son, Gordon, has has been in Malaya
for the last year. I hope he is alright. And Lucy,
of course, has not been well. They have had another
schimozzle with maids, of course, & have been buggered about from
hotel to hotel ever since. Really, Jack, in spite of being pretty
inward, when opportunity presents itself, is an incredibly kind
& long suffering husband.

You were talking in your letter about my recruiting ventures,
& saying that you thought that the Jews of all people, should
have wanted to have a crack at the Nazis. Well that
is just the point - they do not get the choice. These
Coy's you see are not fighting much, they are not really
intended to be, & only kick around Palestine doing guard
duties. Jews are also enlisted into the R.A.S.C & R.E.
& R.A.O.C Pioneer Corps. They have seen service
in France & Greece & Crete & the Desert - but
they are only services. The work in these Buff Coys
is pretty dull soul destroying - & so you can understand
how it is not easy to arouse enthusiasm & appeal to
them "to take up arms against the common foe,"
when they know only too well that they are only going
to be glorified policemen, playing at soldiers - but still
exposed to all the rigors of military law.

It is all a deep & wide political problem - the Jewish - Arab
questions enters into it very largely. In these Buff coys,
there are Jewish Coys, Arab Coys, but they are all
classed as Palestinians, & receive the same rates of
pay & allowance & conditions of service. That in itself
is a difficult beginning, because the Jews look upon
the Arabs as backward & inferior people, in [spacely?]
the same way that we do. And finally, it is
ridiculous & unfair - [strikethrough] the Arabs live mostly in