Item 155 - Letter from Lord Pethick-Lawrence to Lady Pethick-Lawrence

2 single sheets

Office of Cabinet Delegation, The Viceroy’s House, New Delhi.—Reports on his health and daily routine. Has dined with Amrit Kaur. The mission are convincing many Indians that they mean business (with regard to independence) this time, but the mutual suspicion between Congress and Muslims presents a problem.

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Transcript

Office of Cabinet Delegation, The Viceroy’s House, New Delhi
April 5. 46

My dear

I think I have had two letters from you since I wrote last {1}. The lastest† was written Mch 30, 31, from Fways; so that it came in 5 days. I am delighted to hear you are having such glorious weather & are enjoying every minute of it.

Here it grows steadily warmer[,] 101º yesterday & I think even higher today. But I never felt better in my life. The doctor paid me an official visit the other day & gave me a clean bill of health. He said tht blood pressure should be rather below 100 + ones age & I guessed tht mine wd be 160. He took it & found it 150 which he said was just right. I knew it would be so because when I get into bed about midnight I never get out at all & sleep right through till about 6.45 when I get up. After exercises & bath I go out at 7.30 to walk to the Viceroys Garden. The flox† & stocks & other stalk-flowers are running to seed & the big shrubs including the red bougeinvillea & the blue Petria† are fading. But the big trees outside (? Jackoranda†) with blue flowers, & others with red & yellow are just coming out. I get back to breakfast at 8 on the verandah. I start with fruit—mangoes, papaya, banana, apple, then cornflakes with stewed fruit & raisins, then 2 weeny bits of toast with butter & jam. Then I walk to my office on the other side of the Viceroy’s house getting there about 9 o’c. I drive home to lunch about 1.15. I sleep a little & drive back about 3.15 & walk home about 7. Dinner is at 8 & generally political talks with Indians afterwards. Amrit Kaur came last night & said she had a lovely letter from you to which she was replying {2}.

We are [making] good progress with our programme of interviewing people but that of course is quite a different matter from saying tht we are making political progress. One thing is making progress, I think we are convincing most of the Congress & a large part of the press & some of the Moslems tht we mean business this time. But how to abate the mutual suspicion between Congress & Moslems is the question.

All my love
Boy

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There are a few characteristically abbreviated words, including ‘tht’ for ‘that’.

{1} These letters do not survive.

{2} Amrit Kaur’s letter is PETH 1/33.

† Sic.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2020.