SECRET
EXECUTIVE BOARD .
Tuesday, 25th March, 1941.

Copy on LE/2/15

SUGGESTION THAT AUTHORS SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE SERVICES

On 11th March the Executive Board considered Mr. Priestley's suggestion that a representative of this Ministry and the Public Relations Officers of the Service Departments should meet a deputation of the Authors’ National Committee to discuss the question of authors being attached to the services, and it was decided that the Service Departments should be consulted. Replies have now been received from these Departments and may be briefly summarised as follows:-

Admiralty. Accounts of operations by serving officers are not normally passed for publication, unless there is some strong propaganda reason in favour of publication. Facilities could be given to civilian authors who have been approved by M.I.5., though there might be difficulty owing to the War Cabinet decision of 22nd December, 1939 not to accord special facilities to persons engaged in writing unofficial histories of the war. The Public Relations Officer would, however, be willing to discuss the question with representatives of the Authors’ National Committee.

War Office. The war Office would be pleased to meet a deputation from the Authors’ National Committee, for they already have a scheme in train to get Eric Linklater to write up Army life, and if this proves successful they will be wanting to get into touch with other authors.

Air Ministry. The Air Ministry are not in favour of entering into any arrangement with the Authors’ National Committee. There are already some 20 books dealing with the R.A.F. in the course of preparation for which the authors have been granted facilities. In the Air Ministry's view if official recognition were granted to the Authors’ National Committee the less successful writers would probably immediately apply for facilities, with the result that operational commanders would refuse all facilities for writers. The Air Ministry therefore ask that Mr. Priestley should be dissuaded from pursuing the matter.

(Initialled) J.H.W.

22th March, 1941.