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Oliver Baldwin

Villa Aurelian,
Parc Gatliff,
Alger.

6.2.35

Dear Buchan

My mother, with magnificent wisdom, sent me your 'Cromwell' for
Christmas, & having read it, I want to tell you what a fine & scholarly piece
of work I think it. Perhaps my greatest delight in it was to discover with
certainty that O.C's character was not in the least like Tom Rosley's, & that
the latter's new-found interest in the former could not have been caused
by a desire to emulate the great man in all things. I admired the architecture
of the book so much & the apparent ease of the continuity. Go on writing
nice books like that & I will forgive your following of the Lossiemouth
monster, who, I see by my papers, is rarely seen in Parliament these days.
Somebody wrote me & said there was a possiblity of a Labour Government
next year. Can't you put it off till Clynes & Fred Roberts & a few more
are dead? I am in despair about France. She really is in a pitiable state
of funk & putrefaction & her real troubles are only beginning. Over here the
Government is strangely bare-faced. In any native election where their
man is likely to be beaten they change the voting districts for the election
& put any town or village where their opponent is strong into the neighbouring
voting area. When in spite of this their man is beaten, they automatically
annul the election of the winner on the grounds of bribery & put their own