1. Middle East. Soviet Threat to British Interests in:; 2. Daily Secret Situation Reports

At their Meeting* on 8th December, 1939, the War Cabinet "authorised the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in co-operation with the Secretaries of State for War and India, to take the necessary steps forthwith to organise an effective intelligence system in certain regions in the Middle East, as set out in his Memorandum W.P. (39) 150". The Foreign Office felt that this matter should, in the first instance, be referred to the Joint Intelligence SubCommittee, and it was suggested that it might be possible to form a small "Ad hoc" Sub-Committee to prepare a preliminary draft report, setting out detailed recommendations which could later be considered by the Joint Intelligence SubCommittee as a whole.