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Proceedings.

MINUTES OF THE 1ST MEETING, HELD AT 2, Whitehall GARDENS, S.W., THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1910.

Present:

The Right Hon. W. S. CHURCHILL, M.P., Secretary of State for Home

Affairs (in the Chair).

The Right Hon. Sir C. HARDINGE, G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., Permanent Under

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir M. NATHAN, G.C.M.G., R. E., Secretary, General Post

Office.

Rear-Admiral the Hon. A. E. BETHELL, C.M.G., R.N., Director of Naval

Intelligence.

Major-General J. S. EWART, C.B., Director of Military Operations. Lieutenant-Colonel G. M. W. MacDonogh, R.E., General Staff.

Mr. A. H. DENNIS, Assistant Solicitor to the Treasury. Rear-Admiral Sir C. L. OTTLEY, K.C.M.G., M.V.O. (Secretary).

GENERAL EWART explained to the Committee the successive steps that had been taken in order to formulate a Bill for the Control of the Press which would satisfy the naval and military authorities, without at the same time imposing unneces sary restrictions on the press or depriving the public of information to which they might be considered entitled. Such a Bill, in order to be of service, would have to be put into force during the period of strained relations that preceded a war.

He spoke of the precautions adopted by the Japanese, who so fully recognized the necessity for secrecy that they decline even to publish casualty lists, and merely inform the relatives of a soldier confidentially of his death or injury.

Had we

ADMIRAL BETHELL stated that at the time of the Fashoda incident much information appeared in our newspapers regarding the movements of ships. at that time gone to war with France this information would have been of great use to them.

MR. CHURCHILL considered that it was important to differentiate between a war in our own country and one that was being conducted at a distance, say in India. He did not think that in the latter case it would be possible to conceal the departure of troops to the seat of war, and we could not suppress information in the manner adopted by the Japanese. He thought that, apart from the Bill for the Control of the Press, we required some organization in the field for disseminating news. An officer of literary ability could supply the public press with accurate information, which would be both more ample and more readable than that contained in official despatches. It would also be more reliable than the information now so frequently sent home by correspondents. He approved of the suggestion of the General Staff that a joint Naval and Military Bureau should be established at home to deal with the issue of informa- tion to the press in time of war, and it was for the Sub-Committee to consider what the constitution of this bureau should be.

With regard to the draft Bill of 1908 which was before the Sub-Committee, he thought that there should be some indication in the heading of the Bill that it was only intended for use in a real and near crisis, and would not be brought into operation during a distant war. If this were not done, there was a danger that members of the House of Commons would fear that the Government of the day might shelter them- selves behind the Bill, and conceal information regarding operations to which the public might be considered to be entitled.

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