Minutes of the first Meeting of the Sub-Committee, held in the Secretary's Room, Great George Street, S.W.I., on Friday, 1st January 1943 at 11.40 a.m.

The Sub-Committee were informed that the Americans proposed to carry out a detailed examination of these documents. It was suggested that some indication might be given to them of the order of priority in which these documents might be examined. The Sub-Committee (i) invited M.I.19 to sort out the documents into categories as suggested at x above. (ii) invited the Service Departments and the Ministry of Economic Warfare to give M.I.19 every assistance in the examination of these documents. (iii) invited the Chairman to inform Admiral Bellairs of the steps which were being taken in this matter. 3. ENEMY NEWSPAPERS. The Chairman stated that he had been informed by the Ministry of Information that they did not propose to accept any further orders for enemy newspapers from now on from any department except the Political Warfare Executive and the B.B.C. He understood that the Service Departments were in the habit of obtaining their enemy newspapers through other channels. BRIGADIER VALE said that he was not sure whether the War Office obtained enemy newspapers through the Ministry of Information, but that he would find out and inform the Chairman of the result of his enquiries. The Sub-Committee took note of the above. 4. PROVISION OF PERSONNEL FOR THE INTER-SERVICE TOPOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENT. BRIGADIER VALE said that the Service Departments had been asked to provide the Inter-Service Topographical Department with two officers. This had been found necessary as the American officers, who had been promised, could not be made available at the present time. He stated that he would like to know how long it would be before the American officers could be made available. Commander Scott undertook to provide an answer to Brigadier Vale's question. The Sub-Committee took note that Commander Scott would enquire into this question. 5. DUPLICATION OF WORK BY DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED IN THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION ON THE FRENCH COAST. MR. LAWRENCE stated that representatives of the Ministry of Economic Warfare had recently paid a visit to the Inter-Service Topographical Department at Oxford, and had informed him that that Department appeared to be collecting information on ports on the French coast which was already being collected by Home Forces. BRIGADIER VALE informed the Sub-Committee that a meeting had recently been held in the War Office which may have dealt with this matter, and he would undertake to find out whether the matter had, in fact, already been put right. The Sub-Committee took note of the above. Offices of the War Cabinet, S.W.1. 1ST JANUARY, 1943. -2-