KL
SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Friday, 10th January, 1941

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Gates

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting of 8th January were taken as read and approved as revised.

2. PRESS SUMMARIES

Sir Maurice Peterson reported that two of his Divisions felt that the weekly Summary was of use to them and might perhaps be continued. The American Division and the Neutral Countries Division had not found the summaries useful. Sir Kenneth Clark said that for his work he was obliged to have newspapers and that Summaries would not meet his needs. Mr. Radcliffe said that in his Divisions the Summaries were hardly used and he would not mind their discontinuance. Lord Davidson suggested his needs might be met by having marked portions of newspapers sent to him, e.g. by the Reference Section, and it was agreed it might be desirable to strengthen the Reference Section for this purpose.

[Extracted to I/97/6]

Subject to the views of Mr. Fraser, who could not be present, it was agreed that all Press Summaries except the weekly ones might be discontinued. Lord Davidson should discuss with the D.D.G. how best his suggestion about marked copies or cuttings of newspapers might be put into effect. It was also agreed that it would be desirable to keep in mind the question whether the press cuttings system should be developed working on specific order from officers in the Ministry: meantime Establishments should check the list of people in the Ministry who receive daily papers and arrange to stop the supply to any officers who could not show a reasonable case for receiving them.

[A/63/4]

3. REPRESENTATION ON CHATHAM HOUSE COMMITTEE

It was reported to the meeting that in regard to minute No. 2 of 242 - 2 -the meeting on 7th January the Minister knew of no commission [illegible]rom the Government to Chatham House to consider war aims and further that the Foreign office informed us that Chatham House had no very definite mandate over war aims, although the Under Secretary of State was thinking of proposing that Chatham House should work for the Attlee Committee (? or the Greenwood Committee) for six months trial. It was agreed that unless and until a more specific commission were given to Chatham House, it would not be wise for the Ministry to he represented on their Standing Committee. The D.G. undertook to write to Lord Astor to this effect.

Reference was made in the course of the discussion to difficulties which had arisen through the Ministry's acceptance of representatives from the Labour Party as members of the staff, and it was thought that as a general policy we should avoid liaison with the political parties.

4. INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND OTHER COMMITTEES

The D.G. read the substance of a letter he had received from Sir Edward Bridges asking for a return by the (?) 18th of all Committees for which the Ministry was responsible, excluding Committees set up by the War Cabinet, but including the Whitley Council and similar committees, committees internal to the Department and committees on which representatives from other Departments sat, whether or not they included or consisted mainly of persons outside Government service. It was made clear that the terms of reference and functions of the Committees would have to be stated fairly precisely, though the membership could be given in summary form. The return would be a prelude to reduction of the number of committees, and we were required to indicate which could best be spared. The D.D.G. undertook to compile the return required.

5. FRANCE

Mr. Wellington referred to a forthcoming broadcast by the Minister in France and asked whether any guidance could be given to the B.B.C. on the line to be taken in certain eventualities affecting the position of France. Sir Maurice Peterson explained that the Foreign Secretary intended to hold a meeting shortly on France similar to the recent meeting on Italy. It was hoped that a general directive on background propaganda policy would emerge from this meeting. Meantime, the only line could be that we remained friendly with Petain and Weygand.

6. CENSORSHIP INTERCEPTS

The D.D.G. referred to complaints he had received from Mr. Herbert about instructions being given to Postal and Telegraph Censorship about reference of intercepts. It was agreed that requests for intercepts on particular subjects should not be made by junior officers of the Ministry, and that they should be centralised through Controllers and the D.D.G.