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POLICY COMMITTEE
5th June 1940

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

D.S.

Lord Ferth

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Kirkpatrick

Mr. Macadam

Mr. Peake

Mr. Wellington

P.P.S.

Mr. Gates

Lord Davidson

Mr. Beddingon

Mr. Francis

Mr. Hodson

Mr. Maclennan

Mr. Lints Smith

Sir Frederick Whyte

Mr. Cowan

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Rodgers

Sir. Noel Ashridge

Mr. Ryan

Mr. Wiltshire (Secretary)

1. TRANSMITTERS FOR NORWAY

Sir Noel Ashridge explained the situation. The Norwegian Legation, who had learnt of our decision not to make the short wave set available for them, had discussed with him other possibilities. It had been suggested that the B.B.C. should assist them to attain a set from the U.S.A. The B.B.C. expert was still in Norway, and the question would than arise whether he should be kept there until the apparatus could arrive (in about six week’s time) and subsequently until it was satisfactorily erected. The B.B.C. wanted to know whether, and if so how, they should agree to help the Norwegians further.

In the discussion which followed it was explained that it had never been made clear who was ultimately to pay for the set. but it was assumed that the Norwegians would do so. If there were question of the Treasury buying the set from the U.S.A., whether against a refund or not, their permission would have to be asked to make the dollar securities available. Moreover, the Treasury would be concerned from this point of view even if the Norwegians were to pay the U.S.A. direct. Subject to these conditions there would appear to be no difficulty in the Norwegians conducting the negotiations on their own account with a certain amount of assistance from us, which would have to be determined in the light of the political situation. More definite assistance including the retention in Norway of our own personnel or property raised questions of policy, which the Director General undertook to refer to the Minister for consultation with the Foreign Secretary if he thought it advisable. In the meantime, the B.B.C. were asked to temporise for a week, when the general situation night be clearer.

2. LORD DAVIDSON'S PROPOSALS

Lord Davidson reported that since the last meeting he had drawn up a plan for enabling the Ministry to exercise its [illegible]ction of maintaining home morale. Moreover, he had been instructed the day before by the Policy Committee to consider a [illegible]scheme for publicising the national production effort, and he had taken both things into account.

The essential features of his scheme were that it would [illegible] organisation which could be subdivided 223 regionally to meet local situations. He hoped to secure this firstly by enlisting the assistance of a body of persons who were likely to be local leaders in some capacity, e.g. Doctors, Dentists, shopkeepers, etc. They would be invited in general terms to assist the national effort and promised, if they agreed, that they would be sent specific instructions from time to time. He hoped that they would act as centres of activity by spreading information, stopping rumours and in other ways not yet defined. Secondly, the Ministry should place greater reliance on outside advertising agencies. guild or corporation of agents should be created to advise the Ministry. Whereas hitherto the Ministry had used one agent to advise on some particular campaign, he thought that the guild or corporation should pool its knowledge to assist. He thought that the agencies would be willing to co-operate, probably on vary reasonable terms. He also attached great importance to reverting to the system of a block grant, which he said had been in force in the last war.

Thirdly he envisaged the carrying out of ministerial policy by means of the existing Policy Committee and a Planning Committee which would be responsible for carrying out the directions of the former. The latter Committee would be the executive body meeting daily, supervising the technical details of all campaigns in all the media; moreover, he attached importance to this Committee being given a block grant and financial responsibility to expend it. He feared otherwise that there would be delay in obtaining Treasury consent. The Deputy Secretary was not able to agree that the last war afforded a precedent for a block grant. The Treasury would probably object very strongly, and he drew attention to the existing arrangements for obtaining financial sanction at the shortest notice. He considered that any projects of the Ministry had hitherto not been delayed by the fact that the Treasury had been unready and dilatory in dealing with them.

Mr. Cowan outlined further details of the functioning and constitution of the proposed Planning Committee, and it was finally agreed that a minute should be prepared on the scheme.

3. FRENCH TROOPS IN THIS COUNTRY

It was stated that there were about 15,000 Allied troops now scattered about the country. These would be returned overseas as fast as transport could be arranged. It was understood that the War Office had arranged for them to be given a certain amount of pay, but there was no clear indication whether they were being entertained or whether anything effective was being done to assist the purpose of Anglo-French understanding. It was agreed to ask Sir Arthur Willert, who had been considering a scheme for assisting these troops in kind or cash, to find out what the demand was for this assistance from us.

It was mentioned that the French authorities had [illegible] to allow photographs to be taken of the French soldiers in camp at Bournemouth. The reason for this was not known, and Mr. Kirkpatrick undertook to speak to the French Military Mission.