326

SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Friday, 21st February, 1941

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

Parliamentary Secretary

Sir Maurice Peterson

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Fraser

Mr. Wellington

Mr. Waddell (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting on 19th February were taken as read and approved.

2. The D.G. referred to the proposal that had been made for a transmitter to be installed in a hulk for use in such places as Tobruk or Bardia when operations at such places were in progress. It was agreed that as the proposal did not seem to have any authoritative support it should not be proceeded with for the time being.

[B/78/2.]

3. HOME INTELLIGENCE SUMMARIES

It was agreed that the arrangements for distribution of the summaries should remain as at present until the organisation of the work within the ministry could be finally settled. In reaching a conclusion on the matter it would be necessary to bear in mind criticisms occasionally made to the parliamentary Secretary by junior ministers who felt that shortcomings of their Departments were given undue circulation in the summaries; the Parliamentary Secretary mentioned also that relations between the R.I.Os. and Regional Commissioners could on occasion be prejudiced by the nature of questions sent out on the teleprinter.

[HI/1015]

[copy on] I/97/1.]

4. Mr. Fraser referred to a meeting held the previous night at which it had been decided among newspaper interests that the popular papers should become smaller because of difficulty in obtaining supplies and he agreed to obtain more information about the date when the restriction in size was to come into effect.

[GP/135]

[I/97/1]

5. Reference was made to the desire of Mrs. Adams and Mr. Hodson that the daily Home Press Summaries should be continued, but it was agreed 327 - 2 -that the decision of the Board on this Matter should stand. (See minute 4(n) of 12th February).

6. USE OF GAS BY THE ENEMY

Sir Maurice Peterson said that those concerned with propaganda to Germany desired that news about German preparations to use gas should be released with the intention of countering the probable German claim when gas was used by then that it was in the nature of reprisals. In the course of discussion about publicity on gas in this country it was agreed that the best general line would be, as Lord Davidson suggested: issue of a declaration by the Government that gas would not be used by us unless it were used by the enemy; this declaration to be followed after an interval by news about German preparations to use it, and this in turn to be followed by indications of the proper defensive measures for the public to take. The D.G. said he would speak to the Minister about the points arising in the discussion with a possible view to having a question asked in the House about them and possibly mentioning the matter to General Ismay.

[X/104.]

7. Sir Kenneth Clark mentioned difficulties in which Members of his Publicity Division felt they were put by the requirement in Office Circular No. 56 that Controllers should be consulted before representation on Committees outside the Ministry was undertaken and it was agreed that the type of Committee in question might be regarded as an ad hoc conference covered by paragraph 6 of the Circular.

8. USE OF MATERIAL INTERCEPTED BY CENSORSHIP (Minute 2 of 11th February)

The D.D.G. said that the Films Division took the view that intercepts of cables of certain companies were necessary for their work and it was agreed that he should find out from the Films Division what information they were interested in having so that the matter could be discussed with the Postal and Telegraph Censorship with a view to making this information and no more than this available to the Films Division.

[F/]

9. AMUSEMENTS FOR THE STAFF (Minute 5 of 11th February)

Reference was made to the amounts it would be reasonable to expect from senior Officers in response to the request for contributions to the Entertainment Fund, In further discussion, Mr. Fraser mentioned that he had not been present at the meeting of the Board when it had been decided to proceed with the scheme and he felt the Ministry was laying itself open to severe criticism from the Press and possibly in the House. It was agreed that with the safeguards proposed the Ministry had a reasonable answer to any criticism, and that arrangements should go ahead.

[A/670]