On 14th May a meeting was held at the Foreign Office between
representatives of the Dominions and the United Kingdom Foreign
and Dominions Offices to discuss the supply of information by the
United Kingdom to the Dominion Governments. It was revealed that
owing to shortage of staff, particularly in the Dominions Office,
and a desire to improve the Foreign Office Weekly Intelligence
Summary, it has been decided to endeavour to reduce gradually the
amount of background information at present included in daily
Dominions Office telegrams and instead to incorporate such
information which is not urgent into an improved Weekly Summary.

Each of the representatives from the Dominion Offices was asked in
turn how they thought their Governments would view this proposal.

The Australian representative pointed out that as it would take
about a week for the Summaries to reach Australian Departments
from the Foreign Office he did not think that much should be
deleted from the daily telegrams which, he said, were extremely
useful. He reserved a final opinion on the proposed new
arrangements until further consideration had been given to them.

The New Zealand representative expressed similar views, also
drawing attention to the remoteness of Australia and New Zealand
and hence the importance of their receiving urgent news by
telegram.

The Canadian and South African representatives were of the opinion
that some information at present contained in Dominions Office
telegrams, for example, negotiations regarding Siamese rice, might
well be sent to their Governments in summaries.

The spokesman for the Foreign Office, Sir Nigel Ronald, then said
that it was intended to introduce the new form of Weekly
Intelligence Summary, which would be printed on both sides of
special airmail paper, in about six weeks' time. The contents
would be of a more confidential nature than had been the case
hitherto and consequently their circulation should be limited. The
new Summaries would not, like the old, be shown to the United
States State Department and so information regarding United States
economic penetration in foreign countries could be included. It
was also intended to provide particulars which had not been given
before in connection with Russia's economic plans in countries
adjacent to the USSR. It is intended that commencing about the end
of June certain subjects, such as the dispute in Yugoslavia over a
United Kingdom air staging post, might be dropped from daily
telegrams and included in the Summary, and the Dominion
representatives have been asked to request their Governments to
notify the Foreign and Dominions Offices if they notice that
subjects in which they are particularly interested and would
require telegraphed information are being omitted from the daily
telegrams.

In any case, it is proposed to hold a further meeting, similar to
that convened this week, in about seven or eight weeks' time in
order to permit the representatives of the Dominions to give their
views on the reorganised distribution scheme and the revised form
of Weekly Intelligence Summary.

It is probable also that many Saving telegrams at present sent by
air will in future be incorporated in the Weekly Summaries.

Any comments on the above which you may care to make would be
appreciated.

G. S. BRIDGLAND