FO371-46257 — Page 185

Page 185

T 8785

27 OCT 1945

160A

Dear Mr Sterndale Bennett,

Ext 163

Haverstock Hill N.W.3.

Oct. 19th,

22

I was relieved to get your friendly reply to my letter about the Double Tanth, which you might have considered rather uncalled for, but also shocked by its contents, as I knew that Sir Stafford Cripps was not broadcasting; I thought there must have been a confusion with a request which our little Chinese Service made to Sir Stafford for something to put out in Chinese. But Mr Redman assures me that the BBC highups had asked the M.O.I. whether it would approve a broadcast by Sir Stafford on the day, and that this was sent about the end of September. It adds to the puzzling character of the affair.

Mr Blewitt of Home. Talks, who is in charge of talks about the Far East, was very keen on getting an impressive speaker for the occasion; the speaker he put forward in fact was Mr Churchill, which I daresay might not have been the best plan. Mr Gillian as Assistant Director of Features also pressed for a Feature on the day. Both of them were told that it was a matter of high BBC policy that they mustnt, that is, not that their plans must be altered but that nothing must be done. Of course I have no standing in the matter, but as a member of the public it seems to me odd that the BBC should have a high policy of its own about China at all. The question whether people would listen without irritation to such broadcasts, or whether they can be conveniently arranged, is in the sphere of the lowergrade officials who wanted to do them. The question whether they ought to be stopped on grounds of anything that could be called policy is surely a matter for the Foreign Office.

Also the term "BBC" literally refers to the Governing Body, who alone constitute the Corporation itself. About two years ago I wrote a couple of long fussy letters urging the recognition of these anniversaries on

Mr Harold Nicolson, who was extremely friendly about it. He began by replying that he was glad that his attention had been called to the matter, and he would raise it with friends in the Foreign Office; finally he said that nothing. could be done, and expressed a certain indifference; but at all stages he was most insistent that the decision lay with the Foreign Office and not with himself as a member of the Governing Body of the BBC.

I am afraid there must be a certain air of craziness about these letters of mine; I should agree that the matter isnt really of firstclass importance. But it might become more important under other circumstances; surely the question of how the Home Broadcasts come to have a policy about a foreign country, and who is responsible for. it, need not be so hard to answer.

Yours with thanks

La...

Läte Emp

Emper

Page 185

Page 185

Page 185

Page 185Page 186