A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46
FACILITY TOURS, DISTINGUISHED VISITORS, ETC .
One of the earliest visitors from overseas to this Region was Mr. W.A.S. Douglas of the Washington Times Herald. He spent a day in Nottingham on November 20th, 1939 and had conversations with the Regional and Deputy Commissioners and with the Principal Officer, and was being shown over the War Room at Regional H.Q. when advice was received of the appearance of enemy aircraft in the South East of England. Officials of the National Council of Social Service explained to him the work of various voluntary bodies including that of the Citizens’ Advice Bureaux. The afternoon programme included an exhaustive tour of A.R.P. and First Aid Posts, Auxiliary Fire Stations and Fire Barges, Decontamination Centres, etc. Mr. Douglas appeared impressed by what he saw and in expressing thanks, felt sure he could provide the American public with all the “stories” they required on Civil Defence.
On August 1st, 1940, Their Majesties the King and Queen visited Scunthorpe, Lincs. On this occasion Their Majesties inspected steel works in the town. On August 8th Their Majesties visited Rolls Royce, Derby, and the Indian Camp at Shirley. On both occasions only the shortest notice was given and it was with great difficulty that press and newsreel publicity was arranged. Another Royal Visitor to the Region was the Duchess of Gloucester, who inspected Regional H.Q. on September 11th, 1940. At the request of the Regional Commissioner the publicity was handled by the Press Officer.
Very serious difficulties were encountered when the Duke of Kent visited this Region from 4th to 7th March, 1941. The Regional Commissioner notified the R.I.O. of the visit on March 3rd and arrangements for press publicity, at the Commissioner's request, were made. The arrangements were the subject of a special report of which the following is a copy:
“At 3 p.m. 3rd March, the Regional Commissioner called us into Conference and informed us of the pending visit of H.R.H. He asked for arrangements to be made to secure the ‘fullest newspaper publicity’ on lines similar to those made for the visit of the King and Queen’ on 8th August, 1940.
“At 3.30 p.m. we communicated with Mr. Hedley Williams, Area Officer, Ministry of Supply, and informed him of the Commissioner's request. It was agreed that we should issue to selected pressmen and photographers letters of introduction and that Mr. Williams should communicate with the Management of the factories concerned with a view to facilities being arranged.
“Mr. Williams said his Ministry's Public Relations Section had phoned him a few minutes earlier to say that the Ministry of information had just acquainted them of the fact that the visit was taking place.
“Steps were immediately taken by us to secure names of assigned reporters and photographers of local newspapers at Leicester, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, Nottingham and Loughborough and to issue instructions and letters of identity. Initial steps were also taken to offer similar facilities to the National Agencies and Newsreels.
“At 11 a.m. on the 4th (the Leicester visit was timed for 3 p.m. on that day) a phone message from the Press Officer, Ministry of Supply, informed us that none of the factories in the itinerary would be open to the Press. The newspapers were all informed by phone of the decision.
“At noon, a further phone message from Supply (Press Section) informed us that one factory at Derby might be visited. There was still uncertainty about the Ordnance Depot. Amended instructions to the Press were phoned.
“Shortly afterwards another message from Supply (Press Section) liberated the second factory at Derby. There remained under the ban the factories at Chesterfield, Leicester, Loughborough and Beeston, and the Ordnance factory at Nottingham.
“In the meantime the Ordnance Depot at Chilwell had made their own arrangements with the local Press and issued their own permits.
“In view of the Regional Commissioner's Instructions and for his information the following communication was subsequently addressed to the Principal Officer;-
Dear Sir Angus,
Press and Publicity Arrangements for the Visit of H.R.H. The Duke of Kent to North Midland Region on 4th, 5th and 6th March, 1941.
Confusion of authority in connection with the visit of the Duke of Kent led inevitably to a series of instructions, counter instructions and amended instructions to the Press, which must tend to diminish respect, not only for our own capacity to organise but also for that of other Government services.
Acting on the explicit instructions of the Regional Commissioner, arrangements were made for the fullest measure of publicity consistent with Security. Contacts were immediately made with the local and the National Press for both pictorial and letterpress coverage. The short notice received involved high pressure action.
A few hours before H.R.H. was due at Leicester, a phone message from the office of Public Relations, Ministry of Supply, directed that no part of the factory programme could be given publicity. The Ministry of Supply had not taken and did not subsequently take any steps to facilitate publicity of any sort for the visit.
The result of the Ministry of Supply's ‘Stop’ was that instructions to all the newspapers interested had to be hurriedly cancelled.
An hour later a phone message from Ministry of Supply Public Relations confirmed the ‘Stop’ on Leicester, Chesterfield and part of Derby programme. They released one factory at Derby but were still uncertain about Nottingham.
Later the Gun Factory was finally barred leaving the Depot and Boots still “in the air”. The second factory at Derby was then released. The Depot “released” itself.
Each of these various decisions involved new instructions to the Press.
I would suggest that this experience indicates for future guidance that where the Regional Commissioner gives instructions for publicity the Ministry of Information should be authorised to carry them through.
The Security safeguards are complete. The journalists and photographers to whom invitations are issued are known and vouched for. All copy and all photographs are submitted to the Press and Censorship Division where expert advisers from the Services and Ministries interested may be consulted and all publicity controlled.
Such confusion as arose over the recent visit produces results unsatisfactory and unfortunate from every point of view.
Yours sincerely,
J.L. Nicol
Regional Information Officer.
“A similar position has not arisen previously in this Region. Our relations with the Area Officer of the Ministry of Supply are of the happiest.”
During 1942 distinguished visitors included Mr. R.G. Winant, the American Ambassador, who visited Lincoln, Mr. R.A. Butler, President of the Board of Trade, Miss Ellen Wilkinson, Mr. G.H. Selons, the Trades Commissioner in Vancouver who visited R.A.F. Stations and Tank factories in Lincolnshire, Mr. Oliver Lyttleton, Minister of Production, and a Foreign Office party consisting of Mr. McClelland, H.M. Consul at St. Louis, Mr. King, H.M. Embassy, Washington, Mr. Gail, H.M. Embassy, Mexico City and Mr. Gortor , H.M. Embassy, Buenos Aires.
The High Commissioner for South Africa visited the Region on July 5th and 6th, 1943 and was entertained to a civic luncheon by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham. The R.I.O. accompanied the High Commissioner during his tour of the Region and subsequently received an appreciative letter from Col. Reitz expressing his gratitude for the excellence of the arrangements made for his visit by Officers of the Ministry.
On March 3rd and 4th, 1943, the King and Queen visited the Region. Highly complimentary letters were received from the Editors of the Nottingham Guardian, Nottingham Journal, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, Northants Evening Telegraph and the Manager of the Kettering Clothing Co-operative Society Ltd., whose factory was visited. The Nottingham Guardian's letter was typical of others: “May I tender my thanks for the valuable help which the Ministry rendered to the Press on the occasion of the Royal visit. The arrangements were without a hitch ...... it was a triumph of organisation ...... for which the Press are extremely grateful”.
Of the many Facility Tours which have been arranged in the Region the following are typical examples:-