7m
matter of considerable importance, and he would be glad to know how further help could be given. As he saw it, Public Relations Officers in the Colonies had three tasks: first, their duty as P.R.O.'s to their own Government; second, the projection of Britain and of H.M.G.'s policies; and third, the projection of their own territory to the rest of the world and in particular to South East Asia. He felt that the Regional Information Office could probably help most with the third task, but they were quite willing to try with the second if required.
24.
It was agreed that rapid production in London was necessary of material to deal with specific points in H.M.G.'s policy; and the Chairman summarised by describing the projection of Britain as falling under two heads: current guidance about foreign policy, which must be made available to the Information Officers; and long- term productions on the straight projection of Britain.
25.
A draft paper on positive publicity was discussed later (see paragraph 66 below.)
(b) Projection of British South East Asian Territories.
VI.
t
26.
It was agreed that material showing technical and sociological advances in the areas under our control was useful, particularly in Burma and, to a lesser extent, in Indonesia.
27.
Mr. F.R.H. Murray asked if more could be done to help in dispelling the stock Communist line of propaganda on Malaya, and in dissipating the general European misconception of the true situation, by better projection abroad of South East Asia territories and Malaya in particular.
28.
Mr. Carleton Groenc (Federation of Malaya) told the mocting that in the immediate future there would be a much better service of operational communiqués on the Emergency. Mr. Rayner said that the Central Office of Information were arranging to increase their supply of material from Malaya.
29.
Major Rambush (G. H.Q. FARELF) emphasised the danger of using Communist terminology for Communist organisations (e.g. Malayan National Liberation Army for the terrorists), and this point was appreciated by the Conference.
Co-operation with United States Information Services.
30.
Mr. F.R.H. Murray referred to the general desirability of moving towards working agreements with the United States Information Service as part of a general policy. Co-operation in London was already intimate. He asked for discussion of what the Americans were doing and any problems they were raising in British Colonial territories.
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