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SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Friday, 15th August, 1941

Present:

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Francis Williams

Mr. Tree

Mr. Gates

Sir Victor Schuster

Mr. Ryan

Mr. Kirkpatrick

Admiral Carpendale

General Tripp

Colonel Treadwell

Mr. Nash

Mr. McIver

Mr. Balfour (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting on 14th August were taken as approved.

2. The Service Advisers reported on the day’s news.

3. ACTIVITES OF COASTAL COMMAND

Admiral Carpendale promised to find out whether the Coastal Command had in fact found less enemy shipping to attack in the last few days than in previous weeks or whether the absence of news items on this subject was accidental.

4. STORIES ABOUT BRITISH TROOPS IN OCCUPIED TERRITORY

Mr. Nash reported a request from the Foreign Office that the attention of editors should be drawn to the danger of publishing articles about British soldiers being sheltered by the inhabitants in Greece, or continuing guerrilla warfare in Crete. Mr. Francis Williams said that these articles did not originate in this country and were therefore likely to reach the enemy in any event. D.D.G. could not believe that the Germans depended on reports in the foreign and enemy press for their information about what was going on in the countries which they had conquered. Mr. Nash promised to make these points clear to the Foreign Office.

5. PRIME MINISTER'S JOURNEY

Agreed that as the American Press had already published the facts that the Prime Minister had gone on the “Prince of Wales “ to meet the President, it was no longer possible to maintain the “stop “ on this story, but nothing should be said to confirm it officially.

The Service Advisers, Mr. Nash, Mr. McIver, Sir Kenneth Clark and Mr. Tree then left the meeting.

6. REPORT OF KNAPSACK RAID

D.D.G. promised to look into the report of this raid sent by Reuters to Ankara, in view of the unsatisfactory account which was said to have been published by the Anatolian Agency.

7. SECOND INTER-ALLIED MEETING

Mr. Francis Williams said that a second Inter-Allied Conference was to be held at St. James's Palace on 26th of August; the Russians had been invited but not the Abyssinians. The Press were to be admitted, and the arrangements for them had been entrusted to the Ministry, but it seemed likely that there would only be room for sixteen. Mr. Kirkpatrick emphasised that it was essential for the B.B.C. to have present at least two representatives, one Home and one European, and preferably one representative for each ally. Agreed that, as the primary reason for the Conference was its propaganda value, it would be desirable to attempt to get the meeting place of the Conference transferred to a hall large enough to allow an adequate number of journalists and broadcasters to be present.