27th May, 1940.
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION MEMORANDUM ON PAPER REQUIREMENTS

1. The paper required by the Ministry of Information for the proper performance of its functions has been classified as follows:-

A. Stationery, including duplicating paper, supplied through the Stationery Office.

B. Paper used for publications printed by the Stationery Office for the Ministry.

C. Paper used for publications printed by outside publishers of which the Ministry buys the whole or part for its own purposes.

D. Paper used for books and pamphlets printed by outside publishers and sold through commercial channels with the encouragement or at the instigation of the Ministry.

E. Paper used for periodicals printed by outside publishers and sold through commercial channels which the Ministry thinks useful to its activities, although being in no way connected with their publication.

2. The Rae Committee of the Treasury is primarily interested in A. and B. The Burghley Committee of the Ministry of Supply in C. D. and E. It is hoped, however, that in practice the supplies available for B. and C. may be to some extent interchangeable, according to the need in particular cases for independent or governmental publication.

3. The Ministry has examined its present paper consumption and its probable requirements to the end of 1940.

The total for which it is asking is 5,246 tons; of this 1,283 tons fall under A. and B. (Rae Committee) and 3,963 tons under C.D. and E. (Burleigh Committee).

4. Every effort has been made to secure economy in the use of paper, so far as is consistent with the effective prosecution of the Ministry's propaganda policy. For example various publications such as Noteworthy and the Foreign Press Review have been suspended. Others have been curtailed in size. Distribution lists have been rigidly scrutinised. Projects for various new publications have been suspended. Savings will also arise from the restriction of the field for propaganda in Northern Europe as the result of recent events, and further possibilities of economy will be steadily pursued. On the other hand, the activities of the Ministry have been steadily expanding, as the following figures show:-

Against the likelihood of this expansion being halted or reversed must be set the increased call already made by recent events on the Ministry for propaganda on the home front, and the probability that propaganda may 76 - 2 -shortly be undertaken in the U.S.A. Figures of past consumption do not, therefore, give a fair basis on which to fix a future allocation. Any reduction of the estimated consumption will cause a curtailment of the Ministry's activities and diminish its efficiency

5. Paper is more vitally important to the Ministry of Information than to any other Department, and other means of propaganda are not a sufficient substitute. Broadcasting is subject to jamming and may be cut off for security reasons. It must give a high proportion of its space to news and entertainment otherwise people cease to listen. Its effects are less lasting than those of the written word. Overseas broadcasting is strictly limited by the numbers of transmitters available. Film propaganda has similar limitations. Accordingly the Ministry cannot rely on films or broadcasting to make good reductions in printed propaganda.

6. The possibility of printing overseas material of the Ministry in the countries for which it is intended is continually under review, and it is hoped to arrange for this in a number of cases, e.g. for Canada, North and South America and possibly Australia. But the shortage of paper is world-wide and there are many countries in which the situation is as bad as in Britain, or even worse. Moreover it may be more important in some cases to save foreign exchange than to save paper.

7. If British propaganda publications are to compete commercially with local publications in countries where these are of high quality (e.g. U.S.A.) or with German publications of a similarly high standard, they must be of roughly the same format and give equal value for money. (Material sold has great advantages over free distribution). It can be seen how this limits the scope of economies in paper.

8. Schedules are attached as follows:-

1. Paper Requirements by Category and Class of Paper

2. Home Propaganda .

3. Religions Division .

4. Foreign Propaganda .

5. Empire Division .

6. Paper Requirements under the paper headings required by the Ministry of Supply.

Ministry of Information.

27th May , 1940.