1 Mesopotamia 28 Dec. 1918 My dear Reverend Father Provincial, P.C. Yours of 18 October
just arrived. I believe now they only
take a month. I am very glad you
helped my sister. She told me of it also.
She certainly does her best to keep
things going, and deserves any help she
can get. These Indian people have not
yet fixed up my accounts although
they have only to get a certificate from
England stating when I drew my last
pay there. This certificate according to
McGrigors, was sent out when I left
England. What they have done with it
here, only the Lord knows. When I
hear next from them I expect the matter
will have been settled. I shall be
sending you some £ 500. Now that
Christmas is over we expect demobilization
to move very quickly, and I hope tobe
sending you myself about April, or
sooner if possible. It will be a
relief for me to get into a Christian
atmosphere again. There was 2 midnight Mass in Baghdad at Christmas. I hope the Province has not been hit
by the Influenza scourge. We read of its
savages out here. We had our share of it
about two months ago. Now we are busy with
Dysentry. Fr Garrold got his lungs affected
in the 1 November operations out Mosul way,
and has been sent home to England. Fr Walton
and I still represent the Society. Father Frank Browne's brother, John, was here
from Basrah for a few days. He told
me Frank has got two bars tohisMilitary
Cross —. The two Dillon-Kellys are still
here — one in my Unit, and the other
not far away. I suppose the Sinns have carried
the country. Our local sheet gave
them 23 unopposed returns before the
election, and said they were contesting
79 seats. I think six months in
this pagan atmosphere would make
Sinn Feiners out of any real Catholics.
I believe it has done so in many cases. I was able to say 20 Masses for
FrFarley in December, in spite of several
I said for men dying in hospital. I remain
Your Reverence's servant in Christ, Francis M Shaw S.J.