A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
HE announcement that Sir Maurice Peterson, the late British Ambassador in Spain, has been appointed Director DIf Overseas Publicity at the Ministry of Information draws atten- tion to the increasingly close association between the Minitry d the Foreign Office. As country after country in Europe s lost its independence British Embassies and Legations have en closed, their staffs have become unemployed, and not a ew of them have found niches at the Ministry of Information. here is Sir Maurice Peterson's appointment mentioned above. . Kirkpatrick, late of Berlin, is in charge of one depart- ent of foreign publicity. Mr. Oliver Harvey, late of Paris, is charge of France. Mr. Munro, late Press attaché at Rome, sin charge of Italy. And to that list there could be considerable dditions. Practically the whole of the old Foreign Office news epartment is now at the Ministry. Is this a sound tendency t an unsound? On the face of it diplomats with knowledge f a particular European country might be expected to be suitable people to deal with propaganda affecting that country. But are diplomats suitable people to deal with any propaganda? Their whole practice and tradition is to fight shy of publicity, to exercise caution and reserve in all their statements, and often enough to display considerably stronger desire to avoid than to cultivate the Press. The Ministry of Information ex-diplomats may all be exceptions to the rule—Mr. Munro, who was Rome correspondent of the Morning Post before he became Press Attaché at the Rome Embassy, certainly is—but speaking generally the Ministry might have been better advised to seek reinforcement from the large company of competent British journalists who have had to leave Berlin, Paris, Rome, The Hague, and other centres in the last twelve months.
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