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or five years we have trebled the speed and yet reduced the prime
cost and running cost of all the R.A.F. boats: and now the
War Office and the Admiralty are borrowing our boats and copying
or adapting our designs for their purposes.

I tell you all this not to boast of it, but to show that you
and Baldwin, in gratifying what may have seemed to you my
indulgence, have not harmed the public service. I have done
all I could, always: and could have done far more, if they had
given me more rope: The Air Force is pretty good, down below.
I think it deserves more imaginative handling than it gets.

However this note (meant to be a paean of gratitude to two
admirable men) mustn't descend into politics. I owe the two of
you more than my twelve years work (and another twelve on top of
it, were I young enough) in the sheer satisfaction it has been.
You have me very hopelessly in your debt; and thank you both
very much for it.

Yours sincerely

TE Shaw

Some day I'm going to ask another favour - that you will
read my notes on the making of an airman, about 60,000 words of
typescript, that date from 1922. They aren't to be published, but I
rather suspect that as writing they are almost good - or at least a
sight better than my previous attempts at your art! I would
value (and keep very dark) your real opinion.