474

SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
TUESDAY, AUGUST 31st, 1943.

PRESENT:

The Director General

Parliamentary Secretary

The D.D.G.

Mr. Francis Williams

Mr. Grubb

Mr. Royds

Mr. Carter

Mr. Grisewood

Mr. Macgregor

General Tripp

Colonel Treadwell

Admiral Carpendale

Mr. Lyne

1. REPORTS FROM SERVICE ADVISERS

2. HOLIDAYS AT HOME . (See Minutes of August 26th)

[R/]

Reverting to the Board's previous discussion of the Home Secretary's proposals, the Chairman directed that a paper be prepared giving the Ministry's view: in particular distinguishing the two issues (a) discouragement of unnecessary travel (b) encouragement, by publicity, of Holidays at Home. Mr. Royds was invited to prepare a draft.

3. THE PRIME MINISTER'S BROADCAST .

[B/18/8]

Mr. Macgregor explained the arrangements made for relaying the Prime Minister's broadcast today, and asked the views of the Board on a suggestion that, in view of the press publicity given to the inclusion of the broadcast in the Overseas programme at 6 o'clock as opposed to the Home programme at 9 o'clock, the speech should also be included in the 6 o'clock Home Service transmission. The Board endorsed his view that there was no sufficient reason for a last minute change in the arrangements which were adequate to the circumstances and the expected character of the broadcast.

4. ANGLO-SOVIET TREATY PICTURE .

[/GP/46/84/1]

Mr. Grubb reported that the picture by Mr. Salisbury of the signing of the Anglo-Soviet Treaty had now been handed over by His Majesty's Ambassador in Moscow; and that the Foreign Office, having received a formal acknowledgement of it, now proposed to issue a statement, incorporating some passages from the letter of acknowledgement. He recalled that the Ministry had previously felt somewhat coolly towards this project, and it was agreed that the issue of any such statement at the present time was inadvisable.

5. POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS FOR ITALY .

[N/453/1]

Mr. Francis Williams reported that enquiries had been received from news agencies and the press as to the prospects for introducing political, as distinct from military, correspondents into Italy at the appropriate moment. He explained that the Foreign Office wished this matter to be handled by the Ministry, and that unless some acceptable plan were agreed beforehand, the press would endeavour to get their political correspondents in by having them accredited as military correspondents. It was agreed that this would be an unsatisfactory arrangement on all counts; and the Chairman invited Mr. Francis Williams to send a telegram to Mr. Dupree in Algiers, outlining the requirements and invoking the assistance of the Resident Minister's Office in arranging with Allied Force Headquarters some mutually acceptable scheme.

N.B. No Minutes were issued yesterday, August 30th, 1943.