§ 35. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information whether he is satisfied with the methods being adopted by the Department for spreading the truth about the war in neutral countries; and whether he can give the House any indication as to what these methods are?
§ Sir E. GriggThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, my Noble Friend is afraid that the matter is not one in which he feels that he can undertake to go into detail.
§ Sir T. MooreCan we have an assurance from my hon. Friend that the fullest possible information as to the development of the war, and our part in it, will be given to neutral countries, and incidentally to ourselves?
§ Sir E. GriggYes, Sir, I think I can give my hon. and gallant Friend the most complete assurance.
Viscountess AstorDoes my hon. Friend realise that if the Department are satisfied, they are about the only people in the world who aresatisfied with the way our war news is brought to neutral countries? It is an absolute disgrace which is enough to make the Government wipe out the whole of them?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerIs not one of the great difficulties the lack of telephonic and postal communications with neutral countries, and will the Ministry of Information get into communication with the Post Office to try and improve these communications?
§ Sir E. GriggThe hon. Member is quite right. There has been some considerable difficulty on the purely mechanical side, but I can assure him that these difficulties are being very rapidly overcome.