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THIS DOCUMENT IS T H E PROPERTY OF H I S BRITANNIC MAJESTY'8 GOVERNMENT
Printed
for the War Cabinet.
July 1941.
SECRET.
W . M . (41
Copy N o .
j
70th Conclusions.
TO B E K E P T
UNDER
LOCK
A N D KEY.
I t is requested that special care may be taken to
ensure the secrecy of this document.
W A R C A B I N E T 70 ( 4 1 ) .
CONCLUSIONS
of a Meeting of the War Cabinet held at 10 Downing
S.JV. 1, on Tuesday, July 15, 1941, at 6 P . M .
Street,
Present:
T h e R i g h t H o n . W I N S T O N S . C H U R C H I L L , M . P . , P r i m e M i n i s t e r (in the
Chair).
The Right Hon. Sir J O H N ANDERSON,
L o r d P r i v y Seal.
M . P . , L o r d P r e s i d e n t of t h e Council.
The R i g h t H o n . ANTHONY EDEN, M.P., T h e R i g h t Hon. A . GREENWOOD, M.P.,
S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e for F o r e i g n
Minister without Portfolio.
Affairs.
T h e R i g h t H o n . L O R D BEAVERBROOK, T h e R i g h t H o n . S i r K I N G S L E Y W O O D ,
M . P . , Chancellor of t h e E x c h e q u e r .
M i n i s t e r of S u p p l y .
The R i g h t Hon.. E R N E S T B E V I N , M . P . ,
M i n i s t e r of L a b o u r a n d N a t i o n a l
Service
The R i g h t Hon. C . R. ATTLEE, M-P.,
T h e following w e r e a l s o p r e s e n t :
The Right
Hon. Sir ARCHIBALD
S I N C L A I R , B t . , M . P . , S e c r e t a r y of
S t a t e for A i r .
The R i g h t Hon. LORD LEATHERS,
M i n i s t e r of W a r T r a n s p o r t .
T h e R i g h t H o n . Sir A N D R E W DUNCAN,
M . P . , P r e s i d e n t of t h e B o a r d of
Trade.
The Right Hon. JAMES
Secretary.
SIR
[22726]
STUART,
M.P.,
Join,t P a r l i a m e n t a r y S e c r e t a r y t o t h e
Treasury!
EDWARD BRIDGES.
The Future of
the Railways,
T h e W a r C a b i n e t h a d a discussion on the f u t u r e of t h e
r a i l w a y s , a n d h a d before t h e m a M e m o r a n d u m by t h e L o r d
P r e s i d e n t of t h e C o u n c i l ( W . P . (41) 158) s u m m a r i s i n g t h e issues
w h i c h h a d a r i s e n i n discussions i n the L o r d P r e s i d e n t s C o m m i t t e e .
T h e discussion w a s of a p r e l i m i n a r y n a t u r e , a n d n o final
decisions w e r e r e a c h e d o n t h e m a i n issues r a i s e d i n t h e L o r d
P r e s i d e n t s M e m o r a n d u m . T h e g e n e r a l t r e n d of t h e discussion, a n d
t h e p r o c e d u r e a g r e e d u p o n for h a n d l i n g t h e issues involved, w e r e a s
follows:—
(1) T h e d e t e r m i n i n g c o n s i d e r a t i o n m u s t be to e n s u r e t h e fullest
effort from t h e r a i l w a y s d u r i n g t h e w a r .
(2) T h e p r e v a i l i n g view w a s t h a t a d e c l a r a t i o n a t t h i s s t a g e i n
f a v o u r of unification a f t e r t h e w a r , if n o t i m m e d i a t e l y
followed by s t e p s t o m a k e i t effective, w o u l d r e s u l t i n t h e
S t a t e g e t t i n g t h e w o r s t of b o t h worlds. F u r t h e r , i t w a s
clearly u n d e s i r a b l e t o m a k e a n y d e c l a r a t i o n i n g e n e r a l
t e r m s i n f a v o u r of unification u n t i l a specific scheme h a d
been w o r k e d o u t a n d a p p r o v e d .
(3) T h e M i n i s t e r of W a r T r a n s p o r t w a s i n v i t e d t o c i r c u l a t e to
t h e W a r C a b i n e t h i s p r o p o s a l s as a l r e a d y s u b m i t t e d to
t h e L o r d P r e s i d e n t s C o m m i t t e e for a revision of t h e
R a i l w a y Control Agreement.
(4) T h e M i n i s t e r w a s also i n v i t e d to s u b m i t a P a p e r s e t t i n g o u t
t h e p r o p o s e d c h a n g e s in t h e control a n d h i g h e r o r g a n i ­
s a t i o n of t h e r a i l w a y s . T h i s P a p e r s h o u l d d e a l w i t h t h e
f o l l o w i n g p o i n t s r a i s e d i n discussion : —
(a) T h e e x t e n t t o which, t h e scheme p r o p o s e d w o u l d
secure unified o p e r a t i o n a l c o n t r o l d u r i n g the w a r .
(b) W h a t s t e p s w o u l d be t a k e n to e n s u r e t h a t t h e
R a i l w a y M a n a g e r s r e g a r d e d themselves a s h a v i n g
a n u n d i v i d e d r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o t h e M i n i s t r y of
W a r T r a n s p o r t for t h e efficient f u n c t i o n i n g of
t h e r a i l w a y s , i n t h e i n t e r e s t s of t h e S t a t e ?
(c) W h a t f u n c t i o n s w o u l d the B o a r d of R a i l w a y
D i r e c t o r s p e r f o r m u n d e r t h e M i n i s t e r s scheme?
W o u l d they h a v e a n y effective influence on d a y - t o ­
day railway management ?
(d) W a s i t clear t h a t t h e M i n i s t e r of W a r T r a n s p o r t
h a d a l l t h e p o w e r s r e q u i r e d t o e n s u r e t h a t the
r a i l w a y s w e r e o p e r a t e d i n t h e i n t e r e s t s of the
S t a t e , a n d t o secure t h e m a x i m u m w a r effort
during the control period?
,
Great
George Street, S.W.
July 15, 1941.
1,