CAB38-23 — Page 76

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Mr. Scott raised further the question that it was unreasonable to expect the Press to fall into line with this system of restrictions if on their part the governmental authorities did not undertake to treat all newspapers in the matter of official communi- cations and official news on the same footing. It was not infrequently the case that information was given exclusively to one or two favoured newspapers.

Mr. Brade said that this point had been raised at an earlier meeting of the Joint Committee, before Mr. Scott joined it, and it was then agreed by the official members that the representation made was reasonable, and they recognised that if it were not complied with, the continuance of the friendly agreement which they had come to on that Committee would be seriously jeopardized. He added that he had taken that opportunity of bringing the point to the notice of all concerned. As far as news distributed departmentally was concerned the Committee might rest assured that all were treated on a footing of absolute equality. It was of course impossible for the official representatives present to make a definite pledge in regard to information communicated extra-departmentally, but they would endorse very strongly the opinion expressed by their Press colleagues.

Sir George Toulmin said that it would be necessary that they should receive a letter which they could show to the newspapers belonging to the federations which they represented which would make clear to editors exactly what it was they would be expected to do under the further arrangement they had been discussing.

The official representatives promised that this should be done. Mr. Brade would send a letter to Mr. Robbins which could be used for this purpose.

The agreement thus reached is described in the letter which I sent, in accordance with our undertaking, as shown in the following extract :-

Dear Mr. Robbins,

*

*

Looking at it first from the official point of view, the agreement was to the effect that it is desirable that in all cases of this kind Editors should refer to the Department concerned, and should, on the advice and with the explanations which they would receive in reply, so deal with the information tendered to them as to withhold from publication such portions of it, if not the whole, as are of a nature which, in the interests of the State, should not be made generally known.

On the other hand, looking at the matter from the Press point of view, it was further agreed that every reference of this kind from an Editor will be dealt with in the Department concerned as promptly as the immediate circumstances in which the reference is made adınits, and that in no case will an Editor be asked to refrain from publishing any news unless it is really of a secret nature. In each Department a responsible official will be appointed to deal with such references, in consultation where necessary with officials having expert knowledge, and he will be instructed that every communication made to him by an Editor should be regarded as confidential.

Editors may communicate by letter or telegram, and should address such messages to the

Clerk-in-waiting" at the Admiralty or the War Office, according as the information relates to naval or military matters. The use of the telephone should be avoided as much as possible, owing to the risk of misunderstanding. In giving this undertaking, however, the Departments feel that they must ask that Editors will as far as possible refrain from making references of this nature during the night or at times when it would be reasonable to expect that an official of the limited class to whom secrets are entrusted would not be readily available.

Finally, it was accepted by all that any agreement on this subject should not be used for the purpose of denying to the Press liberty to criticize policy or departmental shortcomings.

Yours very truly,

(Signed) R. H. BRADE.

This has in due course been circulated to all Editors of the London and Provincial Press of the United Kingdom, and of the Service journals and certain technical papers, in regard to the inclusion of which in the general agreement a note is added in a later paragraph of this memorandum.

(2.)

The necessary departmental measures have been taken to arrange for the receipt of references to the departments from Editors by officials appointed for the purpose,

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