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music of the British people and the wealth of musical talent to be
found in Great Britain.
But since the British Council was formed there have been
developments in some other countries of a less idealistic nature.
Whereas the British Council has sought to foster better feelings
and more friendly relationships among all nations, in some countries
official propaganda departments have been established with quite
other and more sinister ends in view. During recent international
crises unscrupulous statements and misrepresentations about Great
Britain and the British Empire have been spread abroad by official
organisations in other countries which, for various reasons, have
developed prejudices or imagined grievances against Great Britain.
British Publicity Abroad.
In present circumstances it is therefore imperative that Great
Britain should not confine her activities in this field purely to
cultural contacts, and the whole question of publicity abroad has
recently been reviewed by the Government. The result is a decision to expand the existing Foreign Office Publicity Department, and to
engage a skeleton staff and prepare plans for a inistry of Inform-
ation in case of war. Lord Perth, until recently British Ambassador
at Rome, has been appointed actual head of the former and potential
head of the latter.
It is important. that the respective functions of the two organ-
isations should not be confused. The Foreign Office publicity
Department, working through the British Council and the British Broadcasting Corporation, and other organisations, will continue to strengthen cultural contacts with other countries, and at the same
time counter the great mass of unscrupulous misrepresentation now
being disseminated about this country. It will also explain to the
world the greatest constitutional development ever known, the
British Commonwealth of free nations. Further, it will give to the