SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Tuesday 22nd July, 1941

Present:

D.D.G.

P.S.

Lord Davidson

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Gates

Mr. Ryan

Lord Hood (For item 3)

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

The D.D.G. welcomed Mr. Thurile as the new Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry and mentioned that Mr. Brendan Bracken was expected at 2.45 that day.

1. The minutes of the meeting on 18th July were taken as read and approved. It was noted that Mr. Radcliffe had prepared a Paper on the question of photographs dealt with in item 4 and that this Paper would come up for discussion shortly.

2. B.B.C. AUTUMN TALKS PLANS

The paper by Mr. Ryan which had been circulated was discussed. He referred to statements made in the House at various times some of which had been fairly explicit on the question of peace aims, and emphasised that the questions for settlement were quite properly the concern of the Ministry since they were matters of general policy.

[B/17/37]

It was understood that the scheme described at (3) of the Paper had been mentioned in discussion between Mr. Duff Cooper and Mr. Greenwood, and that it had been considered likely to have the approval of Mr, Greenwood's Committee. This would require confirmation but on the suggestion of the parliamentary Secretary that, it was agreed subject to this concurrence being obtained, the B.B.C. should proceed as outlined at (3). The working suggestion at (3) (b) was approved.

It was further agreed that the proposal described at (2) of the Paper could be regarded as dead and that the project outlined at (4) should not be proceeded with until the Minister had had a chance of considering it at a Policy Committee.

3. MINISTRY ‘S RELATIONS WITH SERVICE DEPARTMENTS

[X/30/11]

Lord Hood outlined the replies which had been received to the Minister's Letter to each of the Service Ministers. The Secretary of State for Air 157 - 2 -had replied in general terms, and it was understood that Group Captain Bradley would be the Senior Officer of the Department stationed in the Ministry; Air Vice Marshal Peck would be the Deputy to the Secretary of State in the Air Ministry. The First Lord had replied vaguely and Mr. Duff Cooper had again written to him emphasising the need for fuller information. General Tripp was to be the Senior Officer of the Admiralty in the Ministry and reference was to be made on matters of operations to Admiral Phillips and to Markham on other Admiralty questions, acting as the Deputy to the First Lord.

The War Office had not yet sent an official reply but it was under stood that the D.G. had had discussions with Sir James Grigg about the possibility of appointing a Major-General as a Senior Army Officer in the Ministry. It was implied that the Major-General would be kept fully informed and would communicate information at his discretion to a small body of Senior Officers of the Ministry.

It was agreed that no further action could be taken until the general position had been reported to the Minister by Lord Hood or the D.G.

Mr. Ryan asked to whom the B.B.C. should refer when they received instructions from the Admiralty not to broadcast an item of news which had been released by the Censorship for publication, and it was agreed that the Admiralty should be invited to make any requests of this sort to the Ministry and instructions would be accepted only from the First Lord or his Deputy or from General Tripp.

THE “V” SIGN

Reference was made to a question to be answered that day by the Parliamentary Secretary; it was agreed that for the time being the only answer about the use of the sign as an interval signal could be that it was already in use on the B.B.C. Foreign Service but its use on the Home and Empire Services was still under consideration. It was likely that a settlement would be reached before the Minister had to answer a further question on the same subject the following day.

[B/164]