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SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Tuesday 20th May 1941

Present :

D.G.

D.D.G.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Gates

Mr. Beddington

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The Minutes of the meeting on the 16th May were taken as read and approved.

2. NEWS-REELS AND PROPAGANDA FILMS: DIFFICULTIES WITH SERVICE DEPARTMENTS

The papers by Lord Davidson and Mr. Ford, Film Officer at New York were before the meeting. It was understood that many instances besides those given in Lord Davidson's paper could be quoted on which apparently unnecessary difficulties had arisen with the Service Departments. It was pointed out also that in order to meet the needs of the Films Division, facilities were required not only for taking pictures of places and activities under the control of the Service Departments but also facilities for transporting the films to this country or within this country from places where they were taken. Mr. Beddington was already in consultation with the Communications Division on this aspect. He mentioned also that the local Commanders-in-Chief were the authorities who particularly needed to be educated in the value of propaganda.

[F/229]

The D.G. took up the suggestion that censorship should follow production and remarked that there might be numbers of activities which the Departments might quite properly wish to keep from the eyes of camera-men, and also that grave difficulties might be caused if expense were incurred in production and it subsequently proved impossible to release the films taken. Mr. Beddington, however, said that cost would not necessarily be great and that there were on the other hand great numbers of activities which could be quite properly filmed and censored later, Proper guidance from senior officers in the Services would help to avoid difficulties of this sort.

It was suggested and agreed that in order to meet the Ministry's difficulties, the Minister might be asked to represent to the Service Departments the desirability of delegating some senior officer of each department to decide question concerning films [illegible]. Reference was made in this connection to the possibility of increasing the personal staffs of the two Secretaries of State and the First Lord.

It was understood that the Minister was meeting the Service Departments that week and that the papers under consideration would be passed on to the Minister with a further paper from the Films Division. The D.G. agreed to ask the Minister whether any arrangement had been made for Officers of the Ministry attending the meeting with him, to assist in the discussion.

During the discussion it was suggested that the Minister's Private Secretary should be invited to minute to the D.G. for consideration at the Executive Board, any Cabinet decisions or similar directives affecting the work of the Ministry, particularly where the work of more than one Controller was concerned. It was felt that this would give all Controllers the opportunity to represent their views and enable the D.G. to provide the Minister with advice which took into account all sides of the question.

[Extracted to X/156/6]

3. WAR DIARY

It was agreed that in view of the absence of the Parliamentary Secretary, discussion on the War Diary should be postponed to Friday, 23rd May.

4. PROPOSED MEETING BETWEEN EXECUTIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE AND EDITORS OF LONDON DAILIES

The D.G. outlined a suggestion which had been made for co-operation between London Editors and the Executive Planning Committee and said that the Minister had agreed to re-consideration of the matter by the Executive Board. The meeting then discussed Mr. Radcliffe's suggestion that two or three editors selected by Mr. Francis Williams might collaborate with the Ministry instead of all the editors being invited. It was agreed after discussion that the best course would be to consider the matter further at a meeting of the Board at which Mr. Francis Williams could be present and the Secretary was requested to put the matter on the agenda for such a meeting.

[N/135]

B