POLICY COMMITTEE.
CENSORSHIP

1. The Defence Notices should be revised in the direction of greater restriction. It should be made an offence to publish in contravention of the Defence Notices so revised. (Consultation with the Will Committee on this and the other points mentioned in this Note should be on terms which permit them to say that the changes were imposed on them, not agreed to by them).

2. Such offences should be cognisable in the ordinary Courts of Justice and the Courts should be empowered to suspend publication of an offending newspaper.

3. The Censors should be empowered and directed to prevent publication not only of information likely to be of value to the enemy but also of matter likely to impede the war effort of the Allies by depressing the confidence or resolution of the public or any section of it.

(This could be a Cabinet instruction but to give effect to it is difficult. The effect on morale of the publication of any item of news or opinion is a matter on which in most cases honest and reasonable minds differ. If the censors are to be made the judges, and the effectiveness of their judgment assured, virtually the whole of the newspapers devoted to war subjects would have to be submitted. This would introduce all the difficulties of compulsory censorship. It is unsatisfactory to have the matter on an advisory basis without sanction. Could a power to suppress or suspend in gross cases be vested in the Minister? This would involve amendment of the Regulation which now requires a warning and proof of system).

4. Power should be given to the Minister to order the introduction of a system of compulsory sources in an emergency decided to be such by him.

(It will be advisable to give some indication to the Press that such emergency should only arise in the case of invasion or other emergency of that order).

5. If the above principles are accepted, Mr. Radcliffe should be temporarily relieved of his ordinary duties.

(a) to redraft the Defence Notices

(b) to draft list of subjects on which sources would be limited in emergency.

When he has completed this task, the help of the parliamentary Counsel will be needed.

24th June, 1940 .