SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD Friday, 2nd May, 1941

Present :

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Gates.

Minister

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting on 1st May were taken as read and approved.

2. CENSORSHIP OF MATERIAL ABOUT BLITZED TOWNS

The Parliamentary Secretary referred to a meeting the previous day of the Civil Defence Committee and to a subsequent meeting between Mr. Herbert Morrison and a number of the Press in the Ministry. The occasion of the meeting had been the dissatisfaction of Mr. Morrison at the treatment given by the Press to recent heavy raids, particularly on Plymouth. This treatment, it was said, would lead the Germans to believe that by continuing their policy of heavy bombing, they could induce a state of panic.

Mr. Radcliffe said he felt that the only real means of meeting the views expressed on the part of the Ministry of Home Security would be to censor under a strict instruction prohibiting appearance in the Press of items relating to blitzed towns. He did not favour this course, but it would be the only satisfactory one. He felt that the organisation which had been suggested for giving better information to the Press and guidance about the use they should make of it would not be very effective because the guidance would inevitably come too late. He was, however, arranging for Mr. Leslie of the Ministry of Home Security to meet the Will Committee and discuss the possibility of an “Operations Room” or some other means of securing more regular contact between Home Security and the Press.

3. CAMPAIGN FOR MINISTRY OF WORKS AND BUILDINGS .

Sir Kenneth Clark reported that the proposal for a large national campaign to be conducted by Lord Southwood and to cost some £50,000, had 51 - 2 -now been examined by the General Production Division, who had recommended to the Planning Committee the previous day that a national campaign would not be justified, but that regional publicity might be possible, [illegible]e cost being £6,000 to £7,000. Lord Davidson explained the background of the Ministry's relations with the National Savings Committee and Ministry of Food and with the Advertising Agents, against which he felt that a proposal such as Lord Reith's had to be considered. He agreed with the recommendation of the General Production Division and the Planning Committee.

In the light of a report by the D.D.G., about the attitude of the Ministry of Works and Buildings to the conclusions reached by the Ministry, it was agreed that Lord Davidson should take an early opportunity of seeing Lord Reith and explaining to him the Ministry's views. It was felt that there might be a reasonable case for conducting a national campaign to stimulate production in general, but not for the building trade in particular.

4. PRESS SUMMARIES.

Lord Davidson reported in regard to the discussion at the previous day's meeting that the inadequacy of the Summary had been to some extent due to the Press Summaries Section having used an early edition of the “Daily Mail” which did not contain headlines attacking the Government's propaganda policy, as later editions had done. It was agreed that the decision taken the previous day, that Press Summaries should be discontinued, should stand and that Lord Davidson in giving directions to this effect, might indicate that the Section should concentrate on producing lists of points on which they were specifically asked to prepare summaries.

5. ATTITUDE OF THE PRESS: SHIPPING LOSSES .

The Minister mentioned that discussion by the Cabinet of publication of shipping losses had been postponed until the following week.