385 386 -2-

POLICY COMMITTEE
Thursday 23rd January, 1941

Present:

Minister

D.G.

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Macadam

Mr. Fraser

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Gates

Mr. Ogilvie

Mr. Valentine Williams

Mr. Herbert

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. Minutes of the meeting on the 16th January were taken as read and approved.

2. MEMORANDUM FROM COMMITTEE OF DIRECTORS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS.

The paper circulated was discussed. It was explained that the Ministry was now represented on the Civil Defence Committee, but not on the Executive Sub-Committee. There was a further Sub-Committee of Public Relations Officers on which we could have representation if we wished. It was agreed that the D.G. should write to Sir George Gater asking that the Ministry should be represented on the Public Relations Officers Committee and that Sir Kenneth Clark should discuss with the D.D.G. who in fact should represent the Ministry at particular meetings.

[A/637]

The general idea behind the Memorandum was discussed, and it was agreed that the conception of the team spirit was a useful one but that it would be a mistake to run an intensive campaign based on it at the present time. It was agreed that a reply should be drafted by Sir Kenneth Clark on these lines and that the reply should give the Ministry's view that more harm than good might be done by running a campaign at the present time to improve morale. The Ministry would however, be glad to prepare in consultation with other Departments concerned a plan for a campaign which could be put into effect when there was real indication of deterioration in morale or an intensification of the war. Mr. Ogilvie remarked that the experience of the B.B.C. supported this general conclusion and it was agreed that in the reply reference might be made to a certain amount of work which was already being done with the same object as the Public Relations Officers had in mind.

[GP/266]

3. “IT'S THE SAME OLD HUN”

In discussion on the paper which had been circulated the Minister referred to the two schools of thought on this subject and questioned whether it would be possible to obtain an agreed directive. Sir Maurice Peterson explained that the need for a directive had arisen largely because of the recent broadcasts by Sir Robert Vansittart which had now been published in pamphlet form. He felt that the line taken was a reasonable one on historical grounds, but was not suitable for use in propaganda either to Germany or in this country.

[Extracted to H/20]

Sir Kenneth Clark explained that the particular point the Planning Committee required guidance on was whether the enemy should be taken to be the “same old Hun” or was not something even worse than we had encountered in the last war. On this question it was agreed that with the departure from Germany of so many eminent men of science and culture and other developments associated with the Nazi regime the enemy was in fact much more brutal than he had been in the past. The line we should take in home propaganda was that the enemy were much worse and that we should emphasise wherever possible the wickedness and evil perpetrated in the occupied countries, particularly Poland and Czechoslovakia. Mr. Valentine Williams in this connection emphasised that propaganda to the Germans must be on a quite harsh and cynical basic, directed towards influencing the Germans through their interests and not by means of moralising or appeals to idealism. The Minister remarked that recent evidence which had come to him confirmed this, and it was agreed that the Planning Committee so far as home propaganda was concerned should be guided on the lines of this discussion. Stress should be laid wherever possible on the dangers of the attitude liable to be accepted by the very poor and the very rich that a German victory would not make very much difference. It was agreed that in this connection a film might be of assistance. Reference was made to a scenario for a long film which had already been done, and it was agreed that as this was an excellent piece of writing we should try to secure publication for it in this country, although there might be practical difficulties about making a film based on it.

As regards the question whether our propaganda should identify the German people with their Government (on which the only directive was the speech by Mr. Neville Chamberlain on September 3rd, 1939, which had been departed from to some extent) , it was agreed that a short general directive should be drawn up by Sir Maurice Peterson and referred in the first place to the Executive Board.

4. PROPAGANDA DIRECTED EXCLUSIVELY TO WOMEN

[HP/579]

It was agreed that the paper which had been circulated provided a reasonable basis of reply to Sir Arthur Willert, and reference was made in discussion of it to the good work which had been done throughout the country in connection with the non-theatrical film scheme. The question 387 - 3 -of feature articles for magazines, etc., was under consideration in the Ministry.

5. B.B.C. ACCOMODATION:

Sir Maurice Peterson asked what progress was being made in the transfer of certain of the B.B.C.'s services from Maida Vale to Bush House, and Mr. Ogilvie explained that it was intended to move on 31st January or before that date should conditions at Maida Vale make it necessary to move. Difficulties of communication were still being experienced, but they were decreasing and it was hoped the telephone and other services would soon be in full working order. Questions were also raised about the welfare of B. B.C. staff at Maida Vale, and about the lack of preparation for the move which had had to be made there in December. Mr. Ogilvie explained that there was a welfare officer charged with responsibility for the well-being of the staff, and that in his view every proper preparation had been made for the movement of staff. The premises at Maida Vale had been intended only for the Overseas News Services, but it had unfortunately been necessary to accommodate there a number of other services. Complications had also arisen owing to the alterations in the policy of the Ministry on evacuation of B.B.C. staff to the country. Mr. Ogilvie emphasised that every possible effort would be made to see that accommodation at Maida Vale, Bush House and the other B.B.C. establishments was adequate to the demands which would be made upon it.

[B/]