POLICY COMMITTEE .
Short Summary of Existing Reuter Services

Multiple Destination Wireless Telegraph Services

1. Via Leafield (G.P.O. Transmitters) to Europe & Turkey :

News . Transmitted on (Hellschreiber) tape system, now running at about six to seven thousand words a day, mainly in French at request of the majority of the recipients.

2. Via Leafield (G.P.O. Transmitters) to Europe & Turkey :

Commercial Services . These include:

(a) The pre-war Reuter Commercial service of market prices, etc.

(b) The Leafield “City” Service, arranged by this Ministry and M.E.W. last December, in co-operation with other Government Departments. This consists of an addition to the daily market bulletins of three emissions containing economic and financial comment and explanation, largely inspired by H.M.G. The daily additional wordage averages 800 and is sent out six days a week.

As trade with any of the receiving countries is now virtually impossible, it is suggested that the interested departments should be consulted with a view to stopping both services.

3. Via Rugby (G.P.O. Transmitters) to the British Empire and the Far East: News . This is a shortwave Morse service which can also be intercepted in North and South America. Known as “Globereuter”, it runs at about 5,000 words daily cables, roughly equivalent to the longer Leafield, since the latter is in clear language.

4. Via Rugby (G.P.O. Transmitters): Commercial Service .

This is an inspired daily economic commentary on the same lines as the Leafield “City Service”. It runs at 600 words a day for six days a week, and appears to be fulfilling a useful function, especially in India.

These are the four main Reuter services, but in addition, Reuters perform a very large number of minor functions for various Divisions of the Ministry in the way of special telegrams to various countries, the appointment of special local representatives, the delivery of their service to certain diplomatic Missions and Consulates, maintenance of technical reception, local translation arrangements, etc. etc. They also handle press summary telegrams from Tokyo and New York, and have given their consent free of charge to general rebroadcasting and rediffusion everywhere in the world of B.B.C. Overseas News, in which 152 - 2 -they hold the copy right, and to publication of the B.B.C. Bulletins in newspapers in several countries.

We have also arranged that they should transmit a small weekly version of their financial News Letter, known as the Economic X-Ray, to the United States, where it is handled by an American agency. This news letter also contains Government inspired material.