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SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Friday, 13th June, 1941.

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Gates

Minister

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The Minutes of the meeting on 11th June were taken as read and approved.

2. WAR DIARY

(a) The notes by the Parliamentary Secretary for the week ending May 31st were approved. It was noted that since the notes were written, the Ministry's position in connection with pamphlets had been considerably improved.

(b) The list of items for the week ending 7th June was approved.

3. REPORT ON RATIONING OF CLOTHES CAMPAIGN

Lord Davidson said he had circulated the paper for information and in order to draw attention to the large amount of work which had been involved in carrying out a policy of which the Ministry did not approve. The Minister referred to a visit he had had from the President of the Board of Trade and said the President had agreed to write to him making clear that the Ministry had given way under protest and setting out the reasons for the adoption of their policy by the Board of Trade. The Minister suggested that when an acknowledgment to this letter was being drafted reference should be made to the material contained in the papers by Mr. Vaughan and Lord Davidson.

Lord Davidson remarked that one serious aspect of the situation was that the Press might be led to insist on advertising being used as a medium for many announcements which the Ministry would prefer to issue in other ways. He proposed to raise this matter at a later date.

4. RELATIONS WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS

The Minister said that on the previous day he had discussed this question with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Beaverbrook. No conclusion had been reached. He added that Sir Alexander Cadogan had offered apologies in connection with the attitude of the Foreign Office over appointments in America.

5. PUBLICATION OF LORD GORT'S DESPATCHES

The Minister reported that it had been decided to postpone indefinitely publication of these rather gloomy despatches.

In the course of discussion about the share taken by the Ministry in bringing about this decision, the D.D.G. emphasised that it would have been possible to stop printing had proper action been taken in the Ministry. It was agreed that if occasions should arise in future on which the Ministry wished to stop printing and publication of work done for another Department, the proper course would be to write officially to that Department; meanwhile, steps would be taken to see that the Ministry was always informed by the Stationery Office when such questions arose.