148 149 - 2 -

SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Friday, 11th July, 1941

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

P.S.

Lord Davidson

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Radcliffe

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Gates

Minister

Mr. Herbert

Mr. Kirkpatrick

Lord Hood

Mr. Waddell - Secretary.

1. The minutes of the meeting on 10th July were taken as read and approved. It was reported that a meeting was being held that day by Mr. Bruce Lockhard in the Foreign Office, at which the question of establishing a Russian Section in the Ministry was to be considered. The Parliamentary Secretary agreed to attend. It was also reported that the Ministry of Labour knew nothing of the suggestion that Mr. Pollitt should undertake a Lecture Tour of factories.

[X/164]

2. Propaganda in the Middle East

The D.G. reported that a suggestion had been made for Professor Rushbrook Williams to assist Captain Lyttelton in connection with his propaganda functions in the Middle East. It was agreed that the D.D.G. should speak to Sir Horace Wilson, and discuss the suggestion with him.

3. Handling of Secret Papers

(a) Number of Secret Files. It was agreed that it would be one of the responsibilities of the head of the Overseas Department when he was appointed to ensure that the number of secret files was not allowed to grow unnecessarily.

(b) Arrangements for distribution of F.O. Telegrams. The explanatory paper which had been circulated was discussed and in general the arrangements described in it were approved. The D.D.G. reported that he understood from the Foreign Office that it was now permissible to send to persons outside Government service copies of deciphered telegrams, provided that the version sent out did not include dates and headings etc., which would make clear that the message was a deciphered telegram. The following points were agreed:-

[X/61]

[A/194]

First, that the D.G’ s. office should pass on to the D.D.G. any of the telegrams received from the Foreign Office which were likely to be of interest to him; secondly, that the American Division should be warned that the practice of copying and then circulating deciphered telegrams was undesirable, since the Foreign Office could not keep track of the copies: and thirdly, that Lord Hood should take up with the Foreign Office questions affecting War Cabinet distribution and if possible arrange for the Minister to be supplied with copies of telegrams in this series.

(c) Postal and Telegraph Censorship Material. Mr. Herbert described the arrangements for handling intercepts of Postal and Telegraphic communications and it was agreed that in regard to the intercepted material on which the Ministry might wish to take action, the source of the material should never be disclosed and if the material came from a letter, the letter should never be published as such, except after consultation with the Censorship authorities on each case. In discussion about the distribution of reports prepared in Postal and Telegraph Censorship, Mr. Herbert agreed to send to the Minister for his information a copy of the “Target Reports”. It was agreed that the D.D.G., Mr. Radcliffe and Lord Hood should discuss further the possibilities of making arrangements for intercepted material to be available for the Press.

[X/182]

4. B.B.C. Broadcasts to Germany

Mr. Kirkpatrick described the unsatisfactory conditions in connection with staff, accommodation and output. He felt it was necessary to have one official who could be responsible for co-ordinating the programmes and seeing that directions were carried out.

[B/12]

In discussion on this point the question was raised whether the B.B.C. Overseas Department should not be brought entirely under the Ministry's control, although it was evident that the staff would have to be housed in Broadcasting House or Bush House. It was agreed that before any conclusion could be reached, it would be necessary to know the result of the Minister's discussions with the Governors about the question of control in general and the views of the Controller of the Overseas Department in the Ministry. [Copy to gov X/166]