A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46

557

SECRET
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
Weekly Report by Home Intelligence - No. 47
Copy No. 31

(From Wednesday 20th August to Wednesday 27th August, 1941)

In reading this report, it is important to bear in mind that it is not meant to be a record of facts , except in so far as public opinion is itself a fact. It is a statement and reflection of the public's views and feelings about the war in general. Therefore, in matters on which public opinion is ill-informed, prejudiced or inconsistent, the report does not imply any endorsement of the views which are expressed in it.

558 562 5 563 6 565 8

HOME INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REPORT

No. 47 - August 20th to August 27th. 1941 .

Note : The figures in brackets refer to sources of information, a list of which is given at the end of this report.

I. GENERAL COMMENTS

1. General state of confidence and reaction to news

The main political and strategic factors, as distinct from domestic influences, which seem to have affected the public this week are: the Russian campaign, the Allied démarche in Iran, and the Prime Minister's broadcast. Anxiety and even interest in the Far Eastern situation, which were slow to crystallise, have subsided quickly. The backwash of speculation and analysis surrounding the Atlantic conference has also subsided and now, generally speaking, remains little more than a ripple on the surface of the public mind. Some comment has been made, however, on the “absence of Soviet Russia from the Atlantic Conference”. It was felt that “the burden and possible privilege of reconstruction were being taken up almost as the prerogative of the English-speaking races, while Russia was at the moment carrying a major burden of the actual war to win the peace enabling reconstruction to take place”.

Although only preliminary reports have so far been received, the news of Allied action in Iran has caused “very great satisfaction” and has helped to arrest a growing feeling of anxiety. All the same, the gradual decline of public spirits, which we have mentioned during the last few weeks, still goes on, and has been accentuated in the last few days by the news from Russia. There is, however, some division of opinion as to how this should be interpreted. Those inclined to wishful-thinking suggest that “each fresh advance increases the difficulties of the Germans”, while others think that Russian reverses may soon result in intensified attacks on this country. A good many comments on the situation are now qualified by the phrase: “If Russia can only hold out until the winter”.

There is still “considerable disappointment with the Government and the military chiefs for doing so little on land”. Reports speak of genuine apprehension that “golden opportunities are being allowed to slip by, while we sit paralysed”. It is pointed out that people have again become spectators of, rather than participants in the war, just as they were at the beginning of it, and that “the present military inactivity has got people into a queer state of being fed up with being fed up”. Many people are said to be “uncertain of the capacity of our leaders, particularly ‘the old appeasers’”, and a considerable number believe that “many Government Departments are anti-Russian”; there is also said to be a strong feeling that “shady financial interests are working to find loop-holes in sanctions against Japan”. This grumbling and criticism is, at the same time, shot through with a good deal of the old optimism. Although there are signs that people are now expecting the war to last much longer than had been anticipated hitherto, there is still some hope that it will be over by Christmas, or at latest, in the spring of next year. Talk of the war being waged in 1943 is “diagnosed as gloom propaganda”.

Although optimism about enemy raids over this country during the coming winter has been based to a considerable extent on the idea of the Luftwaffe being tied up on the Russian front, and is consequently somewhat lessened now that the Germans are making more progress, a large section of the public still expects raids to be less severe. Children are still being brought back to target areas in great numbers, and many people recently evacuated from Hull have since returned, “thinking it will not be bombed again”. There are stories of shelters being used for the storage of coal. This optimism is said to be “fostered to some extent by men in the services, and particularly by those in the R.A.F. who, in conversation, create the impression that we are definitely on top, and that the night fighters will prevent heavy raids during the coming winter”. At the same time, “the apparent failure of the Luftwaffe to penetrate the Moscow defences arouses speculation, and the ease with which German aircraft fly over this country provides unfavourable comparison”.

Belief that invasion is imminent, or that gas is likely to be used, is said to be at a very low ebb.

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 22)

2. U.S.A.

On the desirability of America coming into the war there is a considerable difference of opinion. It is feared that if she did so, her supplies to us would fall off, though many people are of the opinion that “no country makes a 100% effort until involved in war”, and that for this reason supplies would still be maintained, even if she were actually a belligerent. “Responsible persons” feel that, in either case, “not enough emphasis is laid on the importance of relying on our own output”, and that the necessity for this should be repeatedly stressed.

In some quarters there is a “definite reaction against the U.S.A. Her time-lag in meeting our war production needs is often mentioned, and it is generally felt that the people of the U.S.A. are still far from appreciating the gravity of the position”. At the same time the opinion is expressed that “still further explanations of the system of American politics should be made through the Press or the B.B.C., as so many people feel that Roosevelt's word stands for the whole of the American people, and his desires are theirs”. A great many people fail to appreciate the “strong opposition which is apparent in political circles. Their misconception leads them to expect more from America than the situation and the facts may warrant. The creation of a fuller and better understanding of the American position is therefore desirable”.

(3, 11, 22, 32)

3. News presentation .

There has lately been some criticism of the Press for “not assisting the public to a true understanding of the seriousness of affairs”. The “Daily Express” is blamed, for instance, for “using a banner headline to announce big Russian counter-attacks which, in fact, were no more than local successes”. People are said also to have been confused and worried by recent reports, which lack confirmation, that the Dnieper dam has been destroyed.

Pictures of our raids on Germany have been widely welcomed, but there is a demand for more details. “People want to know if the havoc occasioned in German towns is comparable to that inflicted by the Germans on us”.

There have been many “expressions of appreciation for the quick release of the news films showing the Atlantic conference, and the Ministry of Information has been warmly commended for its speedy handling of the film story”.

4. Broadcasting .

The Prime Minister's speech was well received and was said to be “as welcome as any he has made”, but in some cases it was “regarded as chiefly for overseas consumption”, and there is some criticism on the grounds that it told us nothing new and that “the introductory part was too lengthy and repetitive”.

Further reports on Mr. Quentin Reynolds' second Postscript show “no evidence of a decline in his popularity” but there is, for the first time, some criticism of him, on the grounds of being “cheap and tawdry” - “This kind of thing may suit the Americans, whose taste in many things is crude; but in this country we should insist on some dignity in the treatment of serious things”. There has been praise for Mr. Herbert Agar's broadcast on August 19th - “the finest reasoned exposition of war and peace aims that we have yet heard”. The suggestion has been made that “it would be a good thing to try out Mr. Middleton on home propaganda, as he has an enormous listening public and people might well take his advice on what to do”.

(2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 13, 20 Manchester P.C., 22)

5. Astrology .

The latest information on the public's attitude towards astrology emphasises yet more strongly what has been said from time to time in Home Intelligence Reports (particularly in Report No. 40, July 2nd to 9th).

A large number of people, and especially women, not only show a high degree of interest in press predictions but they also place considerable reliance on them. From the evidence we have accumulated during the past few weeks there is reason to assume that this interest is growing, and may in time “have a very serious effect on morale”. The principal danger seems to be that, “whilst it may be advisable to cheer the public, to keep up their morale” (as astrological predictions, with their optimistic note, are apt to do), they may also encourage a “tendency to sit back and relax, leaving matters to ‘fate’”.

Yet it appears equally undesirable that “believers” should be prompted by their astrological faith to take action which may not only be contrary to Government policy but may also jeopardise their own safety. In some cases people are said to be relying on press predictions when considering “plans for getting evacuated children back to blitzed areas for the winter”. This kind of attitude receives a good deal of encouragement from newspaper seers. R.H. Naylor publishes, in the September number of “Prediction”, a “new sort of astrological guidance for air raids”, giving specific advice to people on how to behave in raids, according to the month in which they were born. Thus, all those born in January are told “not to rely too much on underground shelters, nor to be too nervous about taking their chance in a hollow in the open”. Those born in November are told that “in a sense they are ‘safest’ in the open”, and so on.

(1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 22)

6. Rumours .

This week there is a new variation of the gipsy's prophesy - this time she tells a shopkeeper who has cheated her that the war will be over three months after his death; and he died a month ago.

A rumour in connection with astrology is that “Lyndoe is really the voice of the Government”, and that he is used as a means of putting out information which they do not wish to issue officially.

In the Tyneside area it is rumoured that someone must be transmitting to Germany information about the movements of convoys, as air raid warnings regularly follow convoy sailings.

A factory in the Dewsbury area is said to have received notice, under the concentration of industry scheme, to close down, according to local gossip. The workers protested so violently that local troops had to be called in.

Other rumours are: that a woman “has seen with her own eyes many Germans in Dublin, and many more arriving lately”; that Eire has entered the war; that our army is said to be carrying out raids on the Dutch and French coasts at the rate of about three a week. A case is mentioned in which our soldiers are alleged to have fetched a number of German soldiers from a cinema and shot them. Rumours that poison gas had been used in the Newbury and Romsey areas seem to have been due to fumes from drying crops or silage, or to the smell of haystacks.

(1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 20, 21, 32)

II. SPECIAL COMMENTS

7. Industry

It is again stressed that “there is a definite demand, among industrial workers, for explanations of delays which occur in production”. There are reports of protests from workers in an aircraft factory in the North Western Region against “slow production and waste of time”, and complaints have been made by men in a factory in the South West that gangers have told them to work slower. From this factory one employee is reported as saying: “The hardest part of the work is killing time”. “Mismanagement and bad distribution in factories” has been described as “one of the most discussed subjects at the present time, and the cause of much of our failure in the war effort so far”. It is said that “in a number of Works it is felt that the managements should be more ready to take the workers into their confidence”. The restrictions placed on workers by the Employment of Labour Acts are also stated to be “causing much dissatisfaction among men in slack factories”.

8. Registration of Women

Following the general public's desire for more compulsion in mobilising woman-power (mentioned in last week's Report), there has been considerable satisfaction over what are called “signs that the Ministry of Labour is taking a firmer stand”. “The policy of cajolery and threat by turns” has been described as the cause of much “confusion and irritation: women still appear to be uncertain whether registration means compulsion, or whether it is still necessary to volunteer after registering”. It is thought that too little publicity has been given to the reasons for the vital need of women workers; older women generally do not realise that, in taking the place of younger ones called to war service, they are doing work of national importance. It is suggested that there should be “some reconciliation between what is understood to be the policy of the Ministry of Health (that mothers of young children should be evacuated with them where possible) and that of the Ministry of Labour (that as many as possible should go into industry).” The old problem of evacuating the ‘under 5's’ from the big towns is again being discussed; it is said that “if this could be solved, an enormous pool of labour would immediately become available”.

(2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11)

9. Service Dependants' Allowances

The “bitterness and sense of humiliation” among Servicemen's dependants is again mentioned this week as “one of the outstanding grievances of the war”; it is one which leads to such comments as: “Hitler would not treat his men like this; in Germany the families would be looked after”. Resentment at their treatment by the Government is said to be growing steadily among the wives and mothers of men in the Forces, and to be having serious repercussions on the men themselves. Many individual cases of hardship have been reported, over which there appears to be violent feeling.

Among the grievances which have been mentioned repeatedly are:-

1) The principle by which the basic allowance is fixed so low that families are forced to seek Public Assistance is considered degrading; such families must obtain through “compassionate grants” the subsistence which they and their men feel should be theirs by right.

2) That a stringent “means test” is applied if, by her own efforts, the dependant raises her allowance above 25/- a week after payment of rent; this does not take into consideration any of the other commitments which the woman may have (insurances, hire purchase of furniture, etc).

3) That allowances for children are insufficient.

The mothers of serving men are also reported to “feel very keenly the fact that if their sons receive an increase of pay, and consequently increase their allotments to their mothers, the amount of the Government allowance to the woman is decreased accordingly, so that the mother does not benefit and the son neither receives the full benefit of the increase, nor improves his mother's position”.

(5, 8, 9, 32)

10. Food .

“Apart from bombing”, says one report, “the public's main fear in the coming winter is of food shortage”. The prospect appears to be “viewed with considerable anxiety”. It is said that “people with some knowledge of diet are pointing out that the main shortages are now of body-building foods, while starch-foods are plentiful”. If there were plenty of milk, and a larger ration of sugar or glucose sweets - particularly for children - health could be maintained, but without these, and with the lack of fresh fruit this summer, it is generally feared that serious deprivation may result in the lowering of morale”.

The earlier darkness has reminded the working woman of the increased difficulties of shopping in winter after working hours, and this in turn has once more given prominence to the whole problem for factory employees of getting in their household supplies.

Milk

The milk rationing scheme continues “to be bitterly deplored”, and is mentioned as the cause of “definite despondency”. It is said by one R.I.O. to be having “a detrimental effect upon morale as nothing else has done”, a view supported by many other reports. There is considerable feeling on the part of the public “that they have been misled, the impression being that the original cut in milk delivery last spring was made in order to ensure adequate supplies for the winter”. The “extraordinary short-sightedness of such a policy” is stressed: general confidence about the state of other food supplies is said to be shaken, and there are lesser fears of “a milk-muddle comparable to the egg-muddle of earlier weeks”. Those concerned in the milk trade appear to be even more apprehensive than the public. Opinion appears to be general that “the details could, and should have been worked out before the scheme was announced”, and a summing up of the position seems to be that “Criticism attaches to each and every aspect of the scheme, excepting the fundamental principle, that the needs of children and expectant and nursing mothers should be served first”.

Potatoes

Serious concern has been expressed, on the part of the growers, lest the controlled price for potatoes should prove to be too low, “and they would be unable to offer good enough wages to get men to lift the crop”. In the case of other crops - mainly soft fruit - instances have been reported, from various parts of the country, of supplies being wasted “because picking was not worth while”, but the numbers of farmers, nurserymen, etc, said to be affected were thought to be small. It is pointed out, however, that more land is being used for potatoes in England this year than ever before, and if there is any real difficulty of this kind, the acres where the crop is wasted will certainly run into many thousands. Although the help of the military is urgently desired in getting in other crops, it is feared that if soldiers are used to “lift” potatoes there may still be a great deal of wastage, “as inexperienced men leave too many tubers in the ground”.

“Packed Lunches”

The difficulty of working-class wives in providing “packed lunches” for their men is still a constant source of dissatisfaction, and the announcement that some supplies of cheese are now to be released to restaurants has done nothing to lessen criticism of the official food policy as this affects the manual labourer. There is already ill-feeling on the part of the poorer sections of the community against the advantages of those who can afford to use restaurants, and although the extra ration of cheese for heavy workers has done something to lessen the “packed lunch” problem, it is still considered insufficient by many people.

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)

11. Clothes Rationing

The issue by the Customs and Excise authorities of clothing coupons in units of ten appears to be “creating a lot of trouble”. A soldier who wanted to buy a pair of shoes, and to whom the shopkeeper would not give “change”, was told by the Customs and Excise people to change his last unit coupons with his family - who were not very enthusiastic about a unit of ten. The objection to this is that the family may not want to use all ten coupons at once, as they would have to do.

Girls in the Services who are getting married can obtain from their commanding officers chits with which to buy extra clothing. This is said to operate unfairly against women who are not in the Services but are doing war work which may be just as important.

There has been some adverse comment upon the rationing of baby clothes on the ground that babies so rapidly outgrow their clothes. There is also confusion about the issue of coupons to mothers with babies of six months.

(1. 2. 5)

12. Mails to the Middle-East

For some time past complaints have been coming in, a few at a time, from Citizen's Advice Bureaux, social workers and other contacts, about the anxiety and distress caused by delay in mails to and from the Middle-East. The volume of these reports has now increased considerably. It is said in many cases that mothers and wives of serving men have received no news of their relatives for months; non-delivery of cables is alleged, and it is reported that when letters, long out of date, have at last been received from the Middle East, “it is plain that the soldiers themselves have not received the letters written to them from home”. This is considered particularly damaging to morale in cases where men on active service know that their home towns have been blitzed, but are unable to get any news of their families.

(3, 4, 5, 26)

13. Wireless Spare Parts

A shortage of batteries for radio-sets is mentioned in many country districts, where electricity is not available as a source of power; and in town and country alike the difficulty - or in some places impossibility - of getting spare parts of any kind is causing discontent, at a time when it has been emphasised that if this country is invaded, the B.B.C. will be one of the main sources of Government news and instructions.

(1, 5, 32)

14. Constant complaints

Queues, the egg rationing scheme, petrol wastage, non-collection of salvage, shortages of beer, tobacco, matches, and sweets. Cornwall again complains of low-flying over houses by British 'planes.

There is again much demand for a clear and simple explanation on the part of the Government to those paying income tax for the first time. Information is also needed about the whole system of allowances and assessments.

(2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 20, 22)

566

REFERENCES

1. Northern Region (Newcastle) Weekly reports from R.I.Os.
2. North Eastern Region (Leeds)
3. North Midland Region (Nottingham)
4. Eastern Region (Cambridge)
5. London Region (London)
6. Southern Region (Reading)
7. South Western Region (Bristol)
8. Wales (Cardiff)
9. Midland (Birmingham)
10. North Western Region (Manchester)
11. Scotland (Edinburgh)
12. South Eastern Region (Tunbridge Wells)
13. Northern Ireland (Belfast)
14. Special Reports from R.I.Os
15. M.O.I. Speakers' Reports
16. Local Information Committee's Reports
17. Home Press Summaries M.O.I.
18. Regional Press Summaries
19. Hansard
20. Postal Censorship
21. Police Duty Room Reports
22. Mass Observation
23. Wartime Social Survey
24. B.B.C. Listener Research Papers
25. B.B.C. Special Papers.
26. Citizens' Advice Bureaux Reports
27. W.V.S. Reports
28. Scottish Unionist Whips' Reports
29. Liberal Party's Reports
30. Economic League's Reports
31. War Office Post Bag Summaries
32. Primary Sources

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