Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-20
BY ANN CoTTRELL FREE
Special writer for The star

Last Monday young King Faisal
II OF Iraq lost both his throne and
his life. The date-July Twas
the Goth anniversary Of the birth
Of a remarkable woman. Gertrude
Bell. whose influence and intimate
knowledge Of the merging Arab
world were decisive In placing the
Emir Faisal. the young Kings
grandfather. on the Iraq throne.
Gertrude Bell died In Baghdad.
ancient capital Of the Caliphs In
the days Of Arab glory. on July
II. 1926. and lies buried outside
Baghdad near the shores on the
river Tgris. Almost five years
before. on August %. 1921. she
had witnessed the coronation Of
King Faisal I. a triumph of per-
sonal diplomacy for Gertrude Bell.
Blue-eyed and handsome. Miss
Bell. In her own right a feminine
Lawrence Of Arabia" was a key
British official (but, In a sense
without portfolio) In old Mesopo-
tamia = now Iraq during and
after World War /.
In those days the Western world.
particularly Great Britain. wanted
to satisfy Iraq's nationalistic aspi-
rations and yet keep her safe in
its camp. The West, in effect. was
trying to avoid precisely what hap
pened on July IA. 1858. And even
then the steely Whitehall eye was
on Russia to the north.
To do this job Gertrude Bell was
the right person in the right place
at the right time. Everything In
her life had moved to put her in
this unique spot in Iraq. including
the loss Of the man she loved.
She had unlimited knowledge
Of these Biblical lands. charm.
courage and great tact. Moreover
she knew how to use them on
sheikh and diplomat alike.
So when robed warriors Of the
desert. as well as the men around
the green table, asked. who is
to be King?" they listened when
Gertrude Bell spoke.
"Emir Faisal," she said.
"Faisal became King" states
the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
land for two years Gertrude Bell
was the life and soul Of a regime
often shaken. but left standing.
thanks largely to this woman.
This Faisal. the Emir Faisal, a
leader in the Arab revolt against
the Turks. was the third son of
the famed HuSsein Ibn Ali of the
Hejaz. Sheriff Of Mecca and Law
rence's chief support in bringing
about the revolt in the desert.
Troeed to the Prophet
Faisal also was the descendant
Of Fatima-the prophet Moham-
med's favorite daughter.
And he was the grandfather of
the 23-year- British-educated
namesake King who fell last week.
But who - exactly - was this
woman the new King called
thou" and desert sheikhs called
Light Of Our Eyes"
From the standpoint of official
title and salary Gertrude Bells
role would appear minor. To have
exalted her position would have
been unseemly in a land where
women were yelled and largely
oppressed. CHer male British COL
leagues probably wouldn't have
relished it, eitherD She was "Ori-
entail Secretary to the High Com
missioner" Sir Percy Cox. at the
time of her greatest power.
Born in England's North Coun-
try of distinguished parentage.
Gertrude Bell took a FIRST" in his
tory at oxford and excelled at
anything she set her hand. Some
times it was climbing a difficult
Alpine peak, next writing poetry,
exploring unmapped lands or
really digging deep into history as
an archaeologist of note. And
throughout it all. she dressed with
more style and grace than most
of her countrywomen.
Her romance with Henry Cado-