363

SECRET.
POLICY COMMITTEE
Tuesday, 29th October, 1940.

PRESENT :

Minister

D. G.

D. D. G.

Secretary

P. S.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Fraser

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Macadam.

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Peake

Mr. Gates

Mr. Ogilvie

Mr. Valentine Williams

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

MINUTES OF LAST MEETING .

Subject to the insertion of “shortwave” after “greater” in the 11th line of paragraph 4 (b). the Minutes of the meeting on October 24th were taken as read and approved.

1. MORALE IN SHELTERS .

In reply to a question from the Minister about the progress of the draft leaflets about behaviour in shelters and help for the homeless, Sir Kenneth Clark explained that the leaflet about behaviour had been re-written by Mrs. Atkinson and was being finally revised that morning. The re-writing had in his opinion improved it considerably. The leaflet about help for the homeless was being taken round to the various Departments concerned with it, and it was hoped to issue it towards the end of the week.

Sir Kenneth Clark raised the point that these leaflets might be turned to advantage by the enemy, who could make much of the difficulties which they implied in administration, particularly in London, during bombing conditions. A similar point arose in connection with publicity about working after the siren, which we had been asked by the Ministry of Home Security to undertake. His own view was that our difficulties in regard to shelter questions must be faced and that if the evidence which the leaflets provide were used by Germany, we must make the best of it and recognise that the dangers of not issuing the leaflets would outweigh the possible dangers of their being turned to good account by the enemy. The Minister agreed and said that all we could do would be to bear these points in mind in drafting the leaflets.

Sir Kenneth Clark referred to a Committee of the Ministry of Health under Miss Horsburgh, of which he had not been aware, which appeared to have responsibility for amenities in shelters. It was thought this Committee might be closely concerned with films in shelters and other questions. It was agreed that if this Committee were so concerned, it might be willing to assume responsibility for film arrangements.

2. FREE PEOPLES OF EUROPE .

[Extract Placed on file GP/233]

The Minister referred to the discussion at Planning Committee on the 23rd October about the Free Peoples of Europe, and asked whether, in view 364 -2-of the lack of public interest in the Empire Campaign, it would be worthwhile to take this further step. The D.G. explained that arrangements for a campaign on this topic had not gone beyond the preparation of one advertisement. The Foreign Office had not yet been consulted, and it would not be carried further without the encouragement of the Foreign Office. It was intended to bring the matter before the Policy Committee when it had been further explored.

In general discussion Sir Kenneth Clark said he doubted whether the success or otherwise of the Empire Campaign should influence us in regard to the Free Peoples of Europe. He said the advertiser with whom arrangements had first been made for the Empire Campaign had done very poor work, and that he thought the words “Empire” and “Campaign” were both unsatisfactory. Mr. Wellington questioned whether there was a need for a “campaign” and suggested that any need which was felt to hold together the various items which the B.B.C. were at present putting out might be done less formally. The Secretary and Mr. Fraser thought news had stolen a good deal of the interest from advertising, and Mr. Fraser said he would like the Ministry's advertising to be purely instructional. It would be cheaper and more effective to put out editorially the other material desired by the Ministry.

3. CRITICISM OF THE ARMY .

The Minister referred to a discussion at a meeting of the War Cabinet the previous day when the leader in the “Daily Mail” for that day had been under close criticism. The “Daily Mail” had unjustifiably attacked the War Office for not dealing with the problem of clearing up London. The fact was that the Ministry of Labour had been unwilling to employ troops while there were unemployed men who could be used, and the War Office were perfectly willing to make troops available if they were asked to do so. The Minister explained that the Prime Minister himself felt that the Army should occupy itself with training and not with clearance of debris, and said that the Prime Minister was also anxious to keep down to a minimum criticism which was showing itself in various quarters of the size of the Army. D.D.G. and Mr. Fraser said they had in recent weeks been warning Government Departments about this criticism, and agreed to do everything possible to restrain it. Difficulties in dealing with Major-General Fuller were mentioned in this connection.

[X/50]

4. MOVEMENTS IN B.B.C. STAFF .

The Minister asked Mr. Ogilvie whether any further evacuation of staff was intended. Mr. Ogilvie explained that a further move to Woodnorton was in contemplation, and a meeting had been arranged for that afternoon between Sir Stephen Tallents and Sir Maurice Peterson to discuss the details of it. There were tape facilities and monitoring material at Woodnorton, and it would be a convenient place to have the English news service to North America established.

The Minister also asked whether any of the Ministry's staff were being moved out. The Secretary explained that it had not been contemplated that the Ministry as a whole should go before the Government itself. It might be possible to disperse certain parts of the work; for example, the Films Division would be very pleased to move to some place near Denham, but the Office of Works were experiencing great difficulty in obtaining accommodation. Enquiries were in hand on this point and the possibility of requisitioning accommodation was being considered. Apart from dispersal the problem, in the Secretary's view, was largely a matter of cutting down unnecessary work.