SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
FRIDAY, JUNE 25th, 1943

PRESENT:

The D.D.G.

Parliamentary Secretary

Mr. Francis Williams

Mr. Gates

Mr. Grubb

Mr. Royds

Mr. Cruikshank

Mr. Carter

Mr. Grisewood

Mr. Ryan

General Tripp

Colonel Treadwell

Admiral Carpendale

1. REPORTS FROM SERVICE ADVISERS .

2. PUBLICATION OP AMERICAN DOCUMENTS . (See Minutes of June 22nd)

[AM/200/31]

The Board took note of the report from Publications Division called for by the Chairman at a previous meeting. This was to the effect that the Controller of the Stationery Office, on receiving a request from any Allied Government for the publication of documents, took such advice from other Government Departments as he deemed necessary; that in the case under discussion advice had been taken of the Foreign Office and Treasury; and that this Ministry was not normally consulted.

In this connection Mr. Cruikshank drew attention to the hand-out issued by the Office of War Information through the Ministry's News Division which, while summarising and calling attention to the N.R.P.B. Report, omitted any indication of the fact that it had been rejected by Congress. Since in fact Congress had gone further and extinguished the agency which produced the report, he felt it unfortunate that both the British press, which had devoted leaders to the subject, and also presumably the British public, were now under a substantial misapprehension as to the validity of “the American Beveridge Plan”.

The Board recognised that the apparent sponsorship given to American documents and news issues by their promulgation through Government machinery exposed us to certain difficulties, especially in cases where United States political complications were involved; but it was pointed out in discussion that the ultimate responsibility lay with the Office of War Information, and it was agreed that, even informal representations, since they might be thought to cast doubt on its discretion and judgment, would need delicate handling. The Chairman felt that the matter required further consideration and invited Mr. Cruikshank in the first instance to discuss the present case with the Foreign Office and to report back to the Board.

N.B . No Minutes were issued yesterday, June 24th, 1943.