Minutes of the Thirty Seventh-meeting of the Committee (Deputy Directors) Held in Conference Room "G", at the Ministry of Defence, S.W.I, on Wednesday, 5th April,1950, at 11.00 a.m.

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Minutes of the Thirty Seventh-meeting of the Committee (Deputy Directors) Held in Conference Room "G", at the Ministry of Defence, S.W.I, on Wednesday, 5th April,1950, at 11.00 a.m.

SECRET reviewed weekly and that the weekly telegrams from the Far East on this matter should continue as at present. THE COMMITTEE:- (1) Invited the Service Directors of Intelligence individually to draw the attention of their respective Chiefs of Staff to the telegram from the Foreign Office to Shanghai No. 292. (2) Endorsed the memorandum by the Air Ministry on Soviet air assistance to the Chinese Communists, and instructed the Secretary to forward a copy to the Foreign Office and to circulate it to the remainder of the Committee for information. (3) Took note of the Chiefs of Staff instructions regarding the preparation of the periodical reports on the Chinese Communist threat in the Far East and South East Asia, and instructed the Secretary to arrange for this matter to be reviewed at their weekly meetings. 2. THE DANGERS OF CLANDESTINE COMMUNIST ATTACK ON THE ECONOMIC PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF THE COMMONWEALTH. SECRET THE COMMITTEE considered a minute+ by the Secretary covering a memorandum by the Joint Scientific and Joint Technical Intelligence Committees on the dangers of clandestine Communist attack on the economic plants and animals of the Commonwealth. MR. YOUNG emphasised that the memorandum represented a preliminary statement only on a subject requiring further study. In discussion, it was pointed out that the memorandum only referred to the possible methods which might be employed in clandestine attack on the economic plants and animals of the Commonwealth and that although such attacks might have the most serious consequences, the memorandum was not based on any intelligence of Communist intentions. It was therefore considered inappropriate that the Committee should approve the memorandum. In view of the importance of the subject, however, the Directorate of Scientific Intelligence should pursue their examination to include any intelligence available on this subject and also methods of detection and prevention of such attacks. It was pointed out that the Colonial Office had agricultural and veterinary advisers with considerable experience of tropical diseases and that it would therefore be of value if the Directorate of Scientific Intelligence consulted them in their further examination of this matter. THE COMMITTEE:- Took note of the memorandum and invited the Directorate of Scientific Intelligence to continue their study of the dangers of clandestine Communist attack on the economic plants and animals of the Commonwealth and to report in due course. + J.I.C./561/50. -2-
Collection ID
CAB159
Conflict
Cold War
Document Reference
CAB 159/7/39
File Reference
CAB 159/0007
Identifier
10.1080/swwf.cab159.0007.039
Keywords
Chinese Civil War Communism Contingency Planning Predicting Enemy Intentions Assessing Enemy Strength Colonies Empire Imperial Defence Geographic Intelligence Defence Economy Industry Economic Warfare Sabotage Agriculture Food Supplies Intelligence Requirements Intelligence Services Responsibilities Intelligence Gathering British Intelligence Organisation Press Reports Leakage Of Information Information Sharing Release Of Information Anglo-american Relations Occupied Germany Censorship Diplomacy Politics Intelligence Channels Military Strength Threat Of War With The Ussr Soviet Foreign Policy Intelligence Reports
Note
Sections of this document have been retained under Section 3(4) of the Public Records Act, 1958.
Pages
6
Published in
United Kingdom
Series
Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office: Central Intelligence Machinery: Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee Later Committee: Minutes (JIC Series). Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee. Meetings 1 (0)-60 (0)
Themes
Foreign Policy and International Relations British Domestic Security Intelligence Gathering and Surveillance