Evening star., 1941-02-16

October 25 that functional reorganiza"
ton had been completed, adding that ne
had reorganized himself out OF Joo.
The ministry experienced smoother SAIL
ing after the changes introduced by
Lord Carnfose.
After the debacle of the Inflated Nor
way expedition, there was a character
istic reShuft1ing of the Chamberlain cab
met and Duff Cooper became the Min
lister of Information. His tenure OF once
has continued until the present.
Duff Cooper Takes Over.
The appointment Of Duff Cooper
breathed new life into British public re-
lations, both in the United Kingdom and
abroad Duff Cooper was known as an
arch-foe of appeasement. and nan
who had resigned as first lord Of the ad-
miralty as a protest over the Munich
pact. Duff Cooper was man who had
served both as war secretary and as
first lord of the admiralty, and hence
was in a position to iron out differences
of public relations Of both services, be-
sides handling censorship problems with
understanding. The news releases OF
the armed services became uniform and
harmonized for the first time since the
outbreak of the war, American corre-
spondentS said.
In the censorship organization Of the
ministry. Sir Walter MonCkton has done
able organizational work. Sir Walter
was bv profession a lawyer of consider
able reputation. and has been popular
with Fleet street. the home OF the
British press, from the first. There
were approximately 1900 correspondents
in London all clamoring for news, and
the confusion in all lines Of COmmunlca-
ton during the first weeks of the war
was discouraging. But Sir Walter has
managed to speed up passage of news
stories filed, so there will be the least
possible delay. For a while censorship
was transferred to the foreign Office,
but was later restored TO its original
| place with the Ministry Of Information.
The storms of criticism which sig
nalized the first months of operation
of the British Ministry can be traced
to definite causes. First, there was the
criticism which had its source in purely
partisan politics. 1t was good issue
in Parliament for the opposition TO ham,
mer away at the failings Of the Informal
tion Ministry, and even many voices OF
the Conservative party joined in the
shouting.
War of Nerves.
Another. reason was the state Of the
British mind during the first few months
of the war 1t was indeed war OF
nerves" and hostilities had not ma
terialized along contemplated lines and
with the resulting tension of national
morale, criticism of concrete branch
of the government which was war
creation and not seemingly functionlns
effectively served as an outlet for pent-
up nervous irritation.
Then there was undoubtedly sincere
desire to correct abuses, which prompted
much of the criticism The great handi-
cap faced by the ministry. of course,
was to spring from a paper 'organlza-
ton to the fullest activity on the decla-
ration of war, with the inevitable mis-
takes of administration and organiza-
ton which crept in.
The British Ministry of Information
has pioneered in MANY new fields OF
publicity and propaganda. The whole
sale "leaf1et raids" at the outset of the
war when more than 100000 PAM
phlets futtered down on various parts
of the Reich within a week, was an in
novation in attempting to reach civilians
on such a vast scale. Radio broad
casts now go out by short and long
wave in a score of languages every day
of the month. Above all, there has been
decided easing of censorship restric-
tions since last September. the argu-
ment running that America really needs
to know what the British need
If America should find war on the
doorstep one of these days. officials of
the Public Relations Administration,
which is to be the war superagency
handling public relations for the Gov
ernment, will do we'll to ponder the ex-
periences Of the British Ministry of In
formation. which has faced so many
problems in common to both nations.