SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Monday, 11th August, 1941

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

P.S.

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Francis Williams

Mr. Gates

Mr. Victor Schuster

Mr. Ryan

Mr. Kirkpatrick

Colonel Treadwell

General Tripp

Admiral Carpendale

Mr. McIver

Mr. Nash

Mr. Balfour (Secretary)

1. Minutes of the meeting on 9th August read and approved.

2. The Service Advisers reported on the day's news after which they, Mr. Nash and Mr. MacIver left the meeting. Noted that, at the request of the Russians, no references were to be permitted in the British Press to the bases which the Russian Air Force were using. Mr. Francis Williams would speak to the Editor of the Daily Telegraph to ensure that such references were eliminated from despatches received by that paper from Sweden.

3. “RUSSIA TODAY”

D.D.G. said that this periodical, the export of which had been banned in the Spring of 1940, had now applied for more paper, to meet the increased demand which, it claimed, was arising at home. He asked for guidance. Agreed that, in view of the increasing paper shortage, the undesirability of creating any precedents for special treatment and the doubtful propaganda value of the paper, it should be told that no exception could be made to the Ministry's policy of refusing extra paper to existing private publications in the home market.

4. STAFF IN PORTUGAL

Mr. Bamford said that both the Ministry and the B.B.C. had under consideration the appointment of representatives to collect information 177 - 2 -from refugees in Portugal. The Board had ruled in May that only one man should go; the Ministry did not consider the B.B.C.'s nominee to be suitable for their purposes. In the meantime there was no one at work in Portugal. It was therefore proposed that the Ministry's nominee should go out, having been supplied by the B.B.C. with particulars of their needs; if he proved unable to meet the requirements of both organisations, a second man might be sent later to work under his supervision for the B.B.C. Mr. Kirkpatrick said that the B.B.C. would accept this plan, provided that arrangements were made for them to get access to refugees who landed in Great Britain. Agreed that the matter be settled on this basis, and that steps be also taken to prevent another organisation from appointing another agent to do the same kind of work for it in Portugal.