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suggestion the draft was altered, but it will perhaps tend to reassure other departments if, at an early date, the arrangements which have been made-assuming them to be approved by you and the First Lord of the Admiralty-are brought to the Sub- Committee's notice.

(Signed) R. H. BRADE.

War Office, November 5, 1212.

!

(II.)

FURTHER MEMORANDUM ON THE SUBJECT OF THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE OF ADMIRALTY, WAR OFFICE, AND PRESS REPRE- SENTATIVES.

Since the 5th November, 1912, negotiations have been conducted with a view to (1) extending the class of questions to be dealt with by the Joint Committee, (2) perfecting the machinery by which its decisions can be carried into effect, and (3) widening the field of its operations.

(1.)

On the 9th December, 1912, a meeting was held at the Admiralty, when there were present :-

Sir Graham Greene.

Brigadier-General H. Wilson. Mr. Brade.

Lieut.-Colonel Macdonogh.

Sir George Toulmin.

Mr. Parke.

Mr. Scott.

Mr. Duncan.

Mr. Robbins.

The following is a record of the Proceedings:-

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Sir Graham Greene explained to the Committee the object which the Admiralty and the War Office had in view, and in illustration of his meaning he gave the following instances in which information had been published quite recently contrary to public interest. In an issue of the "Sunday Chronicle a signed descriptive article appeared making known facts regarding certain armaments of new ships which the writer stated quite openly were known only to a very few; and the "Sphere" published, with illustrations, details of a new system of gun firing which had been the subject of confidential experiment aud investigation by an official committee and was still under consideration. In both cases, he pointed out, there was sufficient evidence on the face of the information as tendered to the editors to show them that it dealt with confidential or secret matters. What it would be desirable to secure would be that in all such cases the editors should refer to the departments concerned, and should, on the advice and with the explanations which they would receive in reply, so deal with the information as to withhold from publishing such portions of it, if not the whole, as were of a nature which should not be generally made known.

The Press representatives agreed that this was desirable, and that in the cases quoted, publicity had been given to facts which it was clearly desirable to keep secret as long as possible. But as Sir George Toulmin said, it was necessary for them to ask certain questions, and make certain stipulations. In the first place, it was essential that every reference by an editor to a department must be dealt with promptly, and for that purpose it appeared necessary that someone in each of the two departments should be appointed as "referee

in such matters, and his name or title should be communicated to all concerned. Could this be promised?

Sir Graham Greene and Mr. Brade undertook on behalf of the Admiralty and War Office, respectively, that this should be arranged.

Sir George Toulmin said, further, that the Press ought to receive a clear under- taking that papers should only be asked to refrain from publishing news when it was really of a secret nature, and that liberty must not be denied to editors to criticize policy.

This, too, was agreed to by the official representatives who pointed out that the object of the arrangement was to prevent disclosure of information as to facts and not to stifle comments on policy.

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