3. (b) INFORMATION COMMITTEES .

County Committees had been planned for Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, when at the beginning of October, 1939, we were suddenly told by London to suspend work in the Regions and to disband to a great extent the Regional offices.

The formation of Information Committees was from the very beginning greatly handicapped by the fact that the Ministry of Information had no definite policy in regard to the work of Committees. Considerable confusion was caused by the reference to three-Party meetings, and there was a good deal of timidity in coming to a decision about the necessary financial assistance. Where preliminary advances had been made towards forming Committees, annoyance and disappointment were caused through lack of definite instructions to proceed. When policy and finance questions were finally settled and a new Committee Officer was appointed in July 1940, the formation of Committees proceeded much more rapidly.

The danger to which the Three Party Committee is subjected finds an apt illustration in one which was formed at Farnborough, Hants. Originally set up on a Three Party basis, the Conservatives and Liberals displayed little interest and attended infrequently, whereas the Left Wing were enthusiastic, and the Committee consequently became lopsided and a source of continual anxiety to the Committee Officer.

Three of the earliest Information Committees established were at Oxford, Banbury and Bournemouth, and a short history of each follows:-

Oxford .

The D.R.I.O. attended the inaugural meeting of the Oxford Borough Information Committee on 2nd October, 1939. Although at one time it was suggested that it should be merged with the County and University Committees, it has nevertheless functioned throughout its history as an independent City Committee.

Twelve months later reconstitution was rendered necessary by the refusal of various organisations to recognise as their authorised representatives those who had been chosen by the Mayor in the autumn of 1939 and by their insisting on nominating new representatives.

As soon as the Committee had a satisfactory constitutional basis, it got on with the tasks allotted to it and formed Publicity, Emergency and Intelligence Sub-Committees. Public meetings and war commentaries, campaigns, exhibitions and film shows were organised and pronounced a success, though some criticism was heard regarding the large number of Government officials considered necessary in the organisation of a War Work Campaign and doubts were expressed as to whether the results justified the time and money expended on it.

The War Commentaries of one of the Ministry's staff speakers proved very popular in Oxford, and there was much regret when his name had to be removed from the panel on account of an indiscreet statement which he was alleged to have made during a talk. It was felt that the Ministry’ policy of “playing safe” would result in its losing its following in Oxford.

A special activity of the Committee in the early autumn of 1940 was the provision of speakers, film shows, and other forms of entertainment for the 750 air-raid refugees temporarily housed in the Majestic Cinema.

Several years later women members of the Committee were especially invited to visit the larger factories in the vicinity, e.g. the Morris Works, to see for themselves the part which their own sex was playing in the war effort.

The Committee gave invaluable services in arranging facility visits to factories for distinguished visitors and others.

Banbury .

This Committee was an offspring of the original County Committee, which gave birth in the autumn of 1939 to two Constituency Sub-Committees, one for North Oxfordshire and one for South Oxfordshire.

The North Oxon. Sub-Committee, which had been wanted to counteract the subversive tactics of the P.P.U. and other anti-war organisations in the Banbury area, died during the winter, and it was not until December 1941 that a permanent Committee was set up for Banbury and the Rural District. The delay in its formation was due to the fact that the demand for a new Committee had at first come mainly from the Labour Party and, in particular, from its Secretary - a very difficult personality to deal with. When the Committee met again in February the Labour Party withdrew its Secretary from membership of the Committee and nominated another representative, thus easing the situation. From that date until its final disbandment in June 1945 the Committee has worked most co-operatively and is proud of the fact that it has had the same Chairman and Secretary throughout its lifetime.

The Banbury L.I.C. appointed Publicity and Emergency Sub-committees and some of its members became Intelligence contacts for the Regional office. Other activities included the organisation of public meetings, one special feature being a series of open-air meetings in villages by a Staff Speaker, while another Staff Speaker toured the area by loud-speaker car; film shows, photographic displays; distribution of posters to shops, organisations, etc; campaigns, such as the Recruitment of Women Campaign, etc.,

The Committee was also largely instrumental in providing a British Restaurant for the town and in inducing the Forces Club to keep open late on Sunday evenings for the benefit of American troops.

Bournemouth.

Bournemouth was one of the earliest South Coast towns to have an Information Committee, the inaugural meeting being held on 31st January, 1940, under the Chairmanship of the Mayor. Mr. W. Birtwistle, of the Official Information Bureau, was elected Secretary and was still in 23 office when the Committee was dissolved in June 1945.

A Sub-Committee was formed at an early stage for the organisation of meetings and exhibitions and another for the Anti- Gossip Campaign, it being felt that the latter was particularly necessary in a town so full of such dangerous spots for gossip as hotels and boarding-houses. Anti-gossip posters were put into the hotels and a member of the Committee, who was also a representative of the Hotelier Association, was, with the Deputy Mayor, made responsible for anti-gossip lectures and conducted a special campaign in the hotels.

An Air-Raid Sub-Committee was formed early in 1941, and the L.I.C. Secretary was appointed Emergency Information Officer.

The many large stores such as Plummer Roddis, Beales, and Bobby's were not only ideal sites for some of the larger exhibitions but were excellent rendezvous for Works Meetings, and the Regional Meetings Officer and a Staff Speaker addressed some 3,000 people in this way. The R.I.O. also gave some much appreciated War Commentaries in the town. All of these activities were arranged through the L.I.C.

In connection with meetings, however, it should be stated that, soured from the beginning by the failure of some M.O.I. speakers to keep Town Hall appointments, the Bournemouth Committee waxed more and more bitter and periodically emitted strong complaints that, though supplied from time to time with some good speakers, it was never given speakers of its own choice, nor had a Cabinet Minister ever graced its platform.

Like Oxford, the Bournemouth Committee felt that the big Women's Recruitment Campaign was, in its results, a waste of time and money.