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SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD .
Tuesday, 17th June, 1941.

Present:

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Gates

The Minister

Mr. Francis Williams (for first 3 items)

Lord Hood (for last item)

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting of 13th June were taken as read and approved.

2. Publicity for the Battle of the Atlantic .

Discussion of this item and the items on the agenda about the omnibus communiqué and the policy for sending leading personalities to America was postponed until the D.G. could be present.

3. Release of News .

The Minister reported that it had been decided to postpone the issue of figures for shipping losses for a week whilst full figures were obtained and President Roosevelt was consulted. He referred also to the success of the Ministry's argument for release of news about the sinking of the ST. PATRICK; and to information about an agreement which had been signed between Germany and Turkey. On the latter point he was to have further conversations with the Foreign Office before issue of the news. It was understood that a telegram had already been sent to posts abroad warning them that abuse of the Turks was not called for.

[N/159]

4. War Diary .

(a) The Parliamentary Secretary's notes for the week ending 7th June were approved.

(b) Subject to the deletion of the item for 10th June and insertion of references to the Board of Trade Rationing Campaign and the decision on publication of Lord Gort's despatches the list of items for the week ending 14th June was approved.

5. Anti-Gossip Campaign.

The Paper circulated was discussed and Sir Kenneth Clark explained the view of the Production Divisions and the Executive Planning Committee that if a campaign were to be undertaken at all it would cost approximately £100,000, would be on informative rather than humorous or “horrific” lines and would employ mainly Press advertising. The difficulties in dealing with the subject were increased by the absence of information about the success hitherto achieved and about the seriousness of the situation which a campaign would be intended to remedy. It was agreed that at this stage the proper course would be to write to the three Service Ministers explaining the situation and asking for their views, particularly on the question whether so much harm was being done through indiscretion that expenditure of the order proposed would be justified.

[6P/109]

6. Lord Davidson's Paper .

The Paper circulated was discussed; the Minister explained the situation in regard to foreign propaganda, the news front and home publicity. He referred to a ruling which had been given on foreign propaganda and communicated to Sir Maurice Peterson, the effect of which would be to increase the part played by the Foreign Office; there had been a suggestion that a full-time Under-Secretary should be appointed in the Foreign Office to deal with propaganda. The question of Release of News was still being considered by Lord Beaverbrook with the assistance of Mr. Attlee and Sir John Anderson. With regard to the Home Front, with which Lord Davidson had been principally concerned and on which it seemed likely that the disintegration referred to by Lord Davidson was most likely, the Minister suggested that the only action possible for the time being was to remind Mr. Morrison of the letter addressed to him which remained unanswered, about the status of the D.P.Rs’ Committee.

7. Debate on the Ministry .

Lord Hood asked that in preparation of the brief for the Debates the following week Controllers should bear in mind that Lord Cranbourne in the Lords discussion might be asked questions on a variety of topics affecting the Ministry - e.g. numbers of staff, cost of propaganda, effectiveness of propaganda, etc.; and he asked to be provided with a brief as soon as possible.