SECRET
FP/98/140
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Monday, 13th January 1941

Overseas Publicity through Women's Organisations

In the course of last month and as the result of suggestions that the Women's Organisations in this country could render substantial help on the side of foreign publicity, I asked Dame Rachel Crowdy to have an informal talk with the representatives of these Organisations and to let me know whether there was any suggestion which could usefully be put forward.

In consultation with Miss Munroe of the Anti-Lies Section, Dame Rachel has now recommended that a Woman Official be appointed to the Overseas General Branch of the Foreign Division in order to organise publicity through women's organisations, at a salary of £400 per annum.

While the recommendation in itself seems reasonable, the purposes which the appointment is intended to fulfil and which are stated in a note given me by Dame Rachel and Miss Munroe, seem to me to go beyond the limits of the practicable, including as they do suggestions that the Ministry should supply individual letter writers with material and should subsequently help their letters through the Censorship and indeed into enemy territory.

A more practicable definition of the duties of the new Liaison Officer would be somewhat on the following lines:-

1. Maintenance of liaison with women's organisations in order to obtain information from them about conditions and particularly women's reactions in Empire, neutral and enemy-occupied territory.

2. Distribution through women's international organisations of literature and other material produced by the Ministry, notably Talking Points, of which a special edition might be evolved for women. Furthermore, several of the international organisations concerned have been for some time requesting such material. It would clarify the situation, and provide similarity of treatment, if all their requests for information and guidance could be made through one officer instead of, as now, through individuals in various sections of the Ministry.

3. Utilisation of women's international organisations for suggestions as to broadcast speakers and lines of broadcast propaganda, particularly to enemy territory.

At present none of these functions are being performed.

M.D.P.

10th January, 1941