SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
MONDAY, JUNE 21st, 1943.

PRESENT:

The D.D.G.

Parliamentary Secretary

Mr. Francis Williams

Mr. Gates

Mr. Grubb

Mr. Royds

Mr. Cruikshank

Mr. Carter

Mr. Ryan

General Tripp

Brigadier Neville

Admiral Carpendale

Mr. Lyne

1. SERVICE ADVISERS .

2. AIR RAID DAMAGE.

[CN/98]

Brigadier Neville represented the War Office view that press reports of current air raid damage were giving valuable information to the enemy on the effects secured by their isolated attacks. The other Service Advisers and Mr. Lyne were inclined to concur in this view. Mr. Francis Williams pointed out that the principles for the censorship of air raid stories had been laid down long ago with the full agreement of all Service Departments and the Ministry of Home Security, and that, since the defence notices were based on these deliberations, no arbitrary modification of the rules was possible. He also recalled a recent Cabinet directive on publicity for raids on this country. The Parliamentary Secretary suggested that since conditions were now very different from those obtaining at the time when the rules were formulated, the position might now be ripe for review.

The Chairman concluded that this was not a matter on which the Board could reach an immediate decision, and invited Brigadier Neville to advise the War Office that their case should be put on paper for consideration.

3. ARTICLES FOR UNITED STATES HOUSE ORGANS.

[AM/283/27.]

Mr. Cruikshank reported an increasing demand for articles for inclusion in American “house organs” describing the performance of their products - pianos, ships, etc. - in action. He explained that provision of such articles had originally been approved by the Services as being likely to stimulate American production, but that the demand had now grown beyond the scope of his division to supply without further assistance from the Service Departments. He enquired whether it was desired to provide this increase or whether, as a matter of long-term policy, such articles were not now liable merely to feed American misapprehensions as to the predominating volume of American, as opposed to British, war production. The Service Advisers agreed that there was no advantage in promoting more such material, especially as there was already a substantial volume of stories describing the performance of American armaments as operated by Americans themselves in the European theatre. The Board endorsed this view, and the Chairman directed Mr. Cruikshank to be guided accordingly.

N.B. No Minutes have been issued since June 4th, 1943.