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T H I S D O C U M E N T I S T H E P R O P E R T Y OF H I S B R I T A N N I C M A J E 8 T Y ' S G O V E R N M E N T
Printed
for the War Cabinet.
March 1941.
SECRET. Copy No-
W . M . (41)
23rd Conclusions.
TO BE K E P T
UNDER
LOCK A N D K E Y .
It is requested that special care may be taken to
ensure the secrecy of this document.
W A R CABINET
23 (41),
of a Meeting of the War Cabinet held at 10 Downing
S.W. 1, on Tuesday, March 4, 1941, at 6-15 P . M .
CONCLUSIONS
Street
r
Present:
The Right Hon. W I N S T O N S. CHURCHILL, M.P., Prime Minister (in. the Chair)The Right Hon. C. R. A T T L E E , M.P., The Right Hon. Sir J O H N A N D E R S O N ,
Lord P r i v y Seal.
M.P., Lord President of the Council.
The Right Hon. A . GREENWOOD, M.P., The Right Hon. Sir K I N G S L E Y W O O D ,
Minister without Portfolio.
M.P., Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Right Hon. E R N E S T B E V I N , M.P.,
Minister of Labour and Minister of
National. Service.
.
The following were also present:
The Right Hon. R. G . M E N Z I E S , K.C.,
M.P.,
Prime
Minister
of
the
Commonwealth of Australia.
The Right Hon. A . V . A L E X A N D E R , The Right Hon. H . D . MARGESSON,
M . P . , First Lord of the Admiralty.
M.P., Secretary of State for W a r .
The Right
Hon. Sir A R C H I B A L D The Right Hon. H U G H DALTON, M.P.,
SINCLAIR, Bt., M . P . , Secretary of
Minister of Economic Warfare.
State for A i r .
The Right Hon. R. A . B U T L E R , M . P . , The Hon. Sir A L E X A N D E R CADOGAN,
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of
Permanent Under-Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs.
State for Foreign Affairs.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir D U D L E Y A i r Chief Marshal Sir CHARLES F. A . PORTAL, Chief of the A i r Staff. POUND, First Sea Lord and Chief of
Naval Staff.
Lieut.-General Sir ROBERT H A I N I N G , Vice-Chief of tlhe Imperial General Staff. 1
Secretariat.
-
Sir E D W A R D BRIDGES. Major-Genera! Sir H A S T I N G S I S M A Y . \
44
WAR
CABINET
28 : ( 4 1 ) .
CONTENTS,'
Minute
No.
1
Subject
Naval, Military and A i r Operations
Page
121
Naval Operations;
Lofoten Islands.
Military Operations.
2
Belgium
:
....
121
Communication between the Belgian Government and Belgian
people.
3
The Balkans and the Middle Bast
121
Future military policy.
4
Japan
....
...
121
Anglo-Japanese relations.
5
Shipping
....
....
122
....
....
122
The shipping situation.
6
. United States of America
....
....
....
Leases of bases in British territory.
7
Blockade....
....
, ....
123
Food supplies to France.
8
Blockade
Interception of escorted French convoys passing through tho
Straits of Gibraltar.
124
121
Naval, Military
and Aii*
Operations.
(Previous
Eef erence:
W . M . (41) 22nd
Conclusions,
Minute 1.)
Naval
Operations.
Lofoten Islands.
MilitaryOperations. -
W ; M . 23 ( 4 1 ) .
1. The Chiefs of Staff made the,following reports in amplifica­
tion of Cabinet W a r Room Record No. 548 :-—
H.M.S. Canberra and H.M.S. Leander had sunk an enemy
merchant raider. Efforts were being made to salve the raiders­
supply ship, which was believed to be a captured British,
merchantman.
Preliminary reports indicated that the raid against the Lofoten
Islands, which had as one object the destruction of enemy whale oiL
was proceeding satisfactorily.
Our troops were closing in on Keren, but there was nothing
special to report. General Wavell had sent a telegram explaining
the difficulties which the German forces in Tripoli would have to­
face if they tried to stage an early offensive against Cyrenaica.
The War Cabinet took note of these statements.
Belgium.
Communication
between the
Belgian
Government
and Belgian
People.
2. The Prime Minister said that he had just seen the Belgian
Ministers and the Belgian Ambassador, who had complained about
the arrangements for the Belgian Government in this country
communicating with the people of Belgium. The Belgian Govern­
ment had been helpful to us, and we should be accommodating to'
them in this matter.
The W a r C a b i n e t Invited the Minister of Economic Warfare and the
Minister of Information to have a further discussion with.
the Belgian Ministers on this matter at an early date.
The Balkans
and the
Middle East.
Future Military
Policy.
(Previous
Bef erence:
W . M . (41) 22nd
Conclusions,
Minute" 4.)
Japan. .
Anglo-Japanese
Relations.
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (41) 20th
Conclusions,
Minute 3.)
3. A further short discussion took place on this matter, which
is recorded in the Secretary's Standard File of W a r Cabinet
Conclusions.
;
'
^
^
,
4. -The Prime Minister said that he had seen the Japanese
Ambassador. The Japanese - Minister for Foreign Affairs had sent
his thanks for the Memorandum sent to him; and had said that
Japan had never intended -to offer mediation between this country
and Germany. The.Japanese Ambassador had made it clear that,
under, the Tripartite Pact, Japan was under no obligation to enter
the war, except in circumstances of which she would be the judge.
The Ambassador had also stressed Japan's desire not to get involved
in war, with us.
The W a r Cabinet took note of this information.
£hipping.
The Shipping
.Situation.
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (41) 21st
Conclusions,
Minute 1.)
5. The Prime Minister described the measures being taken to
improve the shipping situation. This was the Battle of the
Atlantic, which must be fought out in the shipyards and the docks,
and on the seas.
Special steps were being taken to reduce the volume of merchant
shipping awaiting repair. Above all, the offensive spirit must be
retained in meeting the enemy's attacks on our merchant shipping.
I f resolutely tackled over the next four months, the position should
show great improvement.
J
The Minister of Labour and National Service outlined the
results of his meeting with representatives of the employers and
workpeople in the shipbuilding industry.
In each of the shipbuilding areas a Committee of Control had
been established, comprising a flag officer, representatives of naval
and merchant ship repairing and a labour supply officer.Arrange­
ments were made to enable yards to be pooled, so as to economise
labour. Men would not be allowed to leave the shipbuilding
industry. A guaranteed week had been established, with an obliga­
tion on the men to turn up for work. Arrangements had been made
to enable local settlements to be reached on inter-changeability
between trades. A n Industrial Registration Order had been made,
in order to get back into the industry those who had left it in the
last 15 years. The other Supply Departments had been asked to
help in combing out men who could be spared for marine
engineering.
The Minister of Labour added that it would be helpful if some
encouragement could be given to the shipowners, in order to ensure
speedy decisions on the managerial side. The shipowners were
worried about the post-war position. (This was confirmed by other
Ministers.) H e suggested that the Prime Minister should see
Lord Essendon or Lord Rotherwick on this matter.
The W a r C a b i n e t ­
(Previous Bef erenee: W . M , (40) 274th Conclusions, Minute 6.) United States of
America.
Lease of Bases
in British
Territory.
(Previous.
Beferenpe:
W . M . (41) 14th
Conclusions,
Minute p.)
(1) Took note of the discussion and invited the Prime Minister
to see prominent leaders in the shipbuilding industry.
(2) Agreed that if necessary the question of the sale of vessels,
ordered by the Government, to shipowners who had lost
vessels during the war, should again be considered by the
W a r Cabinet.
6. The W a r Cabinet were informed that a Motion had been
put down by Sir A . Southby, M.P., asking for a Debate in-Secret
Session on the United States Bases. Mr. Stokes, M B . , had also
given notice that he intended to raise the matter on the Adjourn­
ment; and some rather awkward references had been made to this
matter in the Press.
The War Cabinet agreed as follows : ­
(1) I t was most undesirable that this matter should be
discussed in the House of Commons, whether in open or
Secret Session, until the Lease and Lend Bill had passed
into law.
(2) Approval was given to the Prime Minister's suggestion
that, if the request were pressed, time should be refused
for a. discussion of this matter, whether in open or in
Secret Session, at the present time, without cause
123
M.M.23XM);
(3) I f the question were to be raised on the Adjournment, the
only course, would be tq-moye ,at once that the House
shoUjld go into. Secret Session,, and in Secret! Session to
refuse ,any information on the ground.that airy, discus­
sion was undesirable at the present time.
(4) The Minister of Information should be invited to take
measures to prevent publication of undesirable articles
, on this matter in the Press.
;
Blockade.
:
7. The W a r Cabinet had before them copies of telegrams
exchanged with H i s Majesty's Ambassador, Washington, on food
supplies for,unoccupiedFrance ( W . P . (41) 47 and 48).
Telegram No. 1170 to Lord Halifax set out the reasons why we
should not allow food to be shipped to unoccupied France, and
emphasised the unsatisfactory features of the Vichy scene.
1
Food Supplies
to France.
(Previous
References:
W.M. (40) 276th
Conclusions,
The Prime Minister thought we should adhere to our policy of
not relaxing our blockade of Vichy-controlled territories, except in
so far as we might be compelled to make concessions by the force of
public opinion in America. A l l such concessions should be confined
Minute 3.)
to the minimum.
Conclusions,
Minute 6, and
W.M. (41) llth
This view met with general approval.
Attention was drawn to. the fact that two ships were now
believed to be in New York, either loaded with, or ready to load,
wheat and maize for France. I f we were to obtain the co-operation
of the United States in economic help for Spain, the U.S. Govern­
ment would almost certainly require a definite answer from us in
regard to these two ships.
The W a r Cabinet's decisions were as follows:—
(1) Our general attitude should be to continue to maintain the
blockade of French territories under Vichy control, to
the maximum extent practicable.
(2) Should any concessions be necessary, they should be made in
particular cases, so as not to involve any breach in the
I blockade principle.
(3) In regard to the two ships now in New York loaded with,
or ready to load, wheat and maize for France, the
Foreign Office were invited to draft a reply, in conjunc­
tion with the Ministry of Economic Warfare, for
submission to the Prime Minister, on the following
lines:—
1
7
(a) The political importance of helping Spain at this
moment should be strongly emphasised.
(6) W e should invite attention to the views set out in
telegram No. 1170, and strongly urge the United
States Government not to force us to depart from
the policy set out therein.
(c) I f the United States Government were to insist on a
concession, it should be limited to the two ships
in question.
(d) A n y concession made by us to the Vichy Government
should be made on a day-to-day basis, so as to
maintain our leverage; and we should make it
clear that a continuance of concessions would
depend on the Vichy Government taking some
action of benefit to us.
Blockade.
Interception of
escorted French
convoys passing
through the
' Straits of
Gibraltar.
(Previous
Reference:
W . M . (41) 4th
Conclusions,
Minute 3.)
4 j ? connection with the previous minute the First Lord of
the Admiralty asked whether further steps should be taken to
intercept French merchant ships passing through the Straits of
Gibraltar. A n opportunity of doing so might occur shortly.
The W a r Cabinet—
Authorised the First Lord of the Admiralty to give
instructions for the interception of French merchant ships
passing through the Straits of Gibraltar.
F
Great George Street, S.W.1,
March 4, 1941.