403 404 405

POLICY COMMITTEE
Thursday, 13th March, 1941.

Present:

Minister

D.G.

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Gates

Mr. Ogilvie

Sir Stephen Tallents

Mr. Ryan

Mr. Kirkpatrick

Mr. Valentine Williams

Mr. Herbert

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting on 6th March were taken as read and approved. Mr. Ogilvie reported that the B.B.C. move to Bush House was to take place on 17th March. The Minister said in regard to the discussion on air mail delays that he had answered a question on the matter in the House the previous day.

1. B.B.C. Empire and U.S.A. Intelligence Service

[B/105]

The paper circulated was discussed. Mr. Wellington explained in reply to the Minister that provision was not made for reports from Latin America, partly because the scheme in origin had been an Empire scheme and partly because from Latin America we already had a considerable amount of detailed information through Press Attachés and commercial communities. B.B.C. representatives had visited Latin America shortly before the outbreak of war and contacts then made were proving extremely useful. Nevertheless it was a question worth considering whether the Latin American field should not be covered by Intelligence reports, and Mr. Ogilvie said the B.B.C. would bear this point in mind.

The D.D.G. said he felt there was barely enough detail before the Meeting to say whether the Service outlined would be adequate and Mr. Wellington said that this was appreciated by the B.B.C. and by the Empire Division and the India Office, with whom the suggestions had been discussed; it was felt that the scheme represented a reasonable beginning.

Mr. Bamford said that the Treasury would wish to be assured all possible help would be obtained from local broadcasting organisations, [illegible] and that there were one or two points of detail on which discussion with Finance Division would be necessary. It was agreed that subject to settlement on these points a paper should be prepared for the Treasury making the proposals outlined.

3. Invasion Leaflet

The Minister mentioned that the draft of the leaflet as corrected by the Prime Minister was to be discussed by the Cabinet that morning, and it was hoped that it would be available for the Sunday papers this week end. The Parliamentary Secretary referred to the suggestion which had already been made at the Civil Defence Committee and elsewhere for the first distribution to be in the Coastal areas, but it was agreed that this might cause complication with the G.P.O. which would not be necessary if distribution to the public was in any case likely to be soon.

4. “Dai Jones lends a Hand” .

[F/2a/134]

Lord Davidson referred to adverse comment he had received about this film, which he had not himself seen. The Minister said he had seen it and whilst he did not think it very powerful propaganda he did not see any objection to it.

5. Suggestion for Positive Propaganda on the Story of Freedom from Arbitrary rule.

Mr. Kirkpatrick referred to a suggestion that in the absence of positive propaganda which could be done by the B.B.C. and otherwise for countries abroad on war aims and the British. “New Order” it might be worthwhile to emphasise the constant effort made in the history of this country to secure freedom from arbitrary rule and the abolition of caprice in government. The idea would be to contrast the story of this effort with what is going on in Germany and the occupied countries at present, and he felt the best means of setting this theme in circulation might be to have a pamphlet prepared by, for example, Lord Maugham which could be quoted in B.B.C. overseas services primarily to the occupied countries and the neutrals and used also in America and this country.

The D.D.G. drew attention to the difficulty there might be at present time in preparing a pamphlet for home distribution; it would inevitably drive people to reflect on how far caprice was entering into the constitutional structure of the country at the present time. The Minister and Parliamentary Secretary, however, felt that the possibilities were worth considering further, and it was agreed that the proposal be remitted to the Overseas Planning Committee, who would have to examine what had already been done on similar lines in pamphlets and films; Lord Davidson mentioned in this connection the admirable speech by Lord Birkenhead in the U.S.A. in 1918.

In the course of discussion Sir Kenneth Clark suggested that a small section of the Ministry (not the Counter Propaganda Section Bureau whose work was essentially different) should be established in order to pick up from the Press and elsewhere points which could be of value in our propaganda. This suggestion had a considerable measure of support and it was understood that Lord Davidson and Mr. Bamford would take it into account in the examination they had undertaken of the best means of supplying Press summaries in the Ministry.

[A/683]

6. B.B.C. Defences.

[B.124]

Mr. Ogilvie reported that the Military Authorities were proposing to withdraw the guard stationed at Droitwich as soon as the Home Guard there had a complement of ninety. He thought that in view of the importance of the station there and the inadequacy of the Home Guard equipment this proposal should be resisted. The B.B.C. official concerned with defence matters had made representations to this effect and Mr. Ogilvie agreed to provide the D.G. with details so that the matter could be taken up with the War Office. The Minister mentioned in regard to Minute No. 2. of the meeting on 27th February that he had written a few days before to the Secretary of State for War.