Mr. Nicolson said that there would be a second interim report of the Committee available the next day. In the past week the committee had concentrated chiefly on working out the scheme for preparing the public for the loss of the B.E.F. It would now be necessary to reorientate their approach.
Mr. Wellington observed that two administrative points had arisen. Firstly that there was a liability to conflicting instructions [illegible] from different members of the Cabinet or from the Supreme War Council. As an example, the French had asked that no information about the numbers of troops evacuated from Flanders should be given, but eventually the Secretary of State for war had stated the number in his broadcast before the 9 o'clock news the night before. Secondly Mr. Wellington considered that there was at present insufficient mechanism for co-ordinating the various ideas which arose out of the main themes which were being pursued by Mr. Nicolson's a Committee. Replying to on enquiry by the D.O. Mr. Nicolson said that he thought that the Committee had met with no difficulty in putting its suggestions into execution by the ordinary mechanism of the office. Much of their work had hitherto been in the broadcasting field, and the B.B.C. had given their full co-operation.
The Director-General referred to the Lord President of the council's Committee which appeared to be charged with the duty of instructing the people in this country what to do in the event of invasion, and to the Home Defence Executive whose fourth member, Sir Findlater Stewart, had wide powers apparently connected with the Civil Administration aspect of the defence of the country in the same contingency. He stated that he would endeavour to get the relations between the two bodies cleared up.
In the same discussion the co-ordinating function of the Ministry of Information was referred to. It appeared to be desirable that in exercising this function the Minister should be able to object to, or even to refuse, materiel which other departments wished to put out, if this material conflicted with [illegible]agreed policy in relation to home morale, for which the Ministry ought to be responsible. It was pointed out that at present departments probably regarded the new arrangements referred to in the recent Cabinet paper, as merely instituting machinery for putting out departmental material through the agency of the Ministry of information, and that it was unlikely that the departments
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recognised the authority of the Ministry in altering or [illegible]material so provided: they would probably not object to discussion. It was unlikely that the departments or bodies responsible for [illegible]would be willing to agree to our altering instructions in this field: but it was pointed out that we had been asked the day before to put out an instruction so vaguely worded that it was clear that it would either have been disregarded or have give rise to great anxiety and widespread enquiries. It was finally decided that a paper should be prepared for the Minister, explaining the difficulty which would arise if the Ministry acted [illegible] as an issuing machine; and attempting to define the ways in which the Ministry might act in its co-ordinating function in relation to instructions etc., provided by the other departments. The Deputy Secretary undertook to prepare this paper in conjunction with Sir Kenneth Clark and Mr. Macadam.
8.
ATTITUDE TO FRENCH
Lord Forth observed that the Secretary of State for War's broadcast last night had not dealt as sympathetically with the French situation as was desirable. The Deputy Director General and others had brought pressure to bear on the War Office to adjust the broadcast, but this had only been partially successful. It was thought desirable that the Minister should be invited to ask the Foreign Secretary himself to bring to the attention of all Ministers the necessity of paying full attention to French susceptibilities in their handling or their publicity.
Arising out of the increased work thrown on to the Broadcasting Division by the necessity of following the news position more closely, Mr. Wellington observed that it might be necessary to increase the staff of the Broadcasting Division. This would be discussed with the Deputy Secretary.
3.
TREATMENT OF ALIEN JOURNALISTS AND OTHERS
It was reported that a list of approved alien journalists etc., had been drawn up and sent to Scotland Yard, who had agreed to grant the necessary facilities, and in the meantime undertook that no restrictive action would be taken on the persons affected.
4.
SHORT WAVE AND BATTERY RATE
The Deputy Secretary reported that the desirability of increased short wave reception had been explored and had not found with favour, because the possibility of enemy interference was likely to be increased. [illegible]this reason it had been arranged that Regional Information Officers only should be provided with acts. In emergency, messages in code would be broadcast to them through the B.B.C. As to battery sets, about [illegible] of the sets purchased last year were of this type, and it did not seem that much could be done by endeavouring to increase the number of these sets.
5.
MULTIPLE TELEGRAPH ARRANGEMENTS
The General Post Office had agreed to put this into operation and multiple messages could now be sent by 24,000 Post Offices. The General Post Office also agreed to put in tie-lines to the existing wire telephone system which links up the studios with the B.B.C. transmitters. It would therefore be possible to disseminate news bulletins by these tie-lines to any desired number of focal points throughout the country (e.g. Regional Information Officers. Town Halls, etc.) The General Post Office are doing this in consultation with the B.B.C. and the Regional Administration Division.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT PROTECTION FOR TRANSMITTERS
Mr. Ogilvie reported that sites had been selected. The Deputy Secretary said that it was not clear that Anti-aircraft guns would be available, but he had asked that at least Bren guns should be provided. Mr. Ogilvie agreed to ask for more information.
7.
RADIO PERSONALITIES
Mr. Wellington stated that the events of the past fortnight had modified the position. The War Office had lifted the ban on broadcasting by military personnel. There had been a great demand for broadcasting time by Cabinet Ministers and others; the Emergency Committee were inclined to try to build up personalities, such as General Ironside and other leaders, rather than to pursue the idea of actors. The Committee took note of this development.
DECISIONS
MEMBERS CONCERNED
(1) that the relations between the Home Defence Executive and the Lord President's Committee should be cleared up.
Director General
(2) that a paper should be prepared for the Minister explaining the difficulties arising if the Ministry's powers in relation to instructions put out by other departments are confined only to the mechanism of issuing these instructions and defining the spheres in which the Ministry might exercise a co-ordinating and modifying function.
Deputy Secretary with Sir Kenneth Clark Mr. Macadam
(3) that the Minister should be invited to ask the Foreign secretary to urge all Ministers to pay full attention to French susceptibilities in considering publicity relating to other departments.
