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EXECUTIVE BOARD
Wednesday, 13th August, 1941

Present:

D.G.

D.D.G.

P.S.

Sir Kenneth Clark

Mr. Bamford

Mr. Francis Williams

Mr. Tree

Sir Victor Schuster

Mr. Ryan

Mr. Kirkpatrick

General Tripp

Admiral Carpendale

Mr. Nash

Mr. McIver

Mr. Balfour (Secretary)

1. The minutes of the meeting on 12th August approved.

2. The Service Advisers reported on the day's news. Mr. Nash said that the Foreign Secretary was contemplating giving a broadcast that night on the joint assurances to Turkey; he asked whether the Board thought this desirable. Mr. Ryan said that if the broadcast was a five minute postscript, the B.B.C. would have no difficulty in fitting it in. Agreed that the proposal was to be encouraged.

The Service Advisers, Mr. Nash and Mr. MacIver then left the meeting.

3. FILM ON BLACK MARKET

Sir Kenneth Clark said that the Ministry of Food had asked Films Division to make a film which would increase the public knowledge of the black market and its workings. Home Planning Committee had considered that this was undesirable, that the film was likely to give a misleading picture of the black market and that it would not affect those really guilty. The proper method of dealing with the markets was by administrative action, which the Ministry of Food was not able or willing to take. They were extremely anxious to have the film and proposed to raise the issue to ministerial levels. They also insisted on employing their own script writer, who designed the film to meet their views.

Agreed that, if possible, the film ought to be made but that it must be an accurate picture of the situation and the Ministry must know why administrative action was not being taken. The Ministry of Information was entitled to insist on the choice of script writer.

D.D.G. promised to pass direct to the Minister the minute which Sir Kenneth Clark had sent him on the matter.

4. CIVILIAN WAR COMMENTARIES

The paper circulated was considered. Mr. Ryan said that the B.B.C. were intending, in the Autumn, to combine their features “Signpost” and “Can I help you”, employing one radio commentator to give the feature regularly. Agreed that experiments should be made in this way to try out the material and commentators, and that the question of starting a regular civilian war commentary be considered later when experience had been gained. The Home Planning Committee would be responsible for notifying the B.B.C. as to the subjects which, in its opinion, required to be dealt with in the series.

5. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BRITAIN IN U.S.A.

Mr. Tree referred to misconceptions recently reported from the United States about the use made in Britain of Lease-and-Lend material, which were, he suggested, the fore-runners of other similar reports. He asked what Division of the Ministry should be responsible for obtaining material to meet them. Agreed that this should be done by the Reference and Counter-Propaganda Sections. The B.B.C.'s “Answering You” feature seemed admirably suited to meet these misconceptions, but Mr. Kirkpatrick reported that, although excellent arrangements had been made for re-broadcasting it in America, it was likely to break down unless those with authority to answer questions could be compelled to deal with them. D.G. promised to speak to the Minister about this.

6. BLACK-OUT IN MINISTRY BUILDING

Mr. Bamford referred to public complaints about this matter and said that regulations were being tightened up and that the police had been asked to deal harshly with offenders. Agreed that it was most important for the Ministry's black-out to be effective.

7. ARTICLE ABOUT THE MINISTRY IN “LIFE”

D.D.G. agreed to give a description of the Ministry's work to the person writing this article.