Scope and Contents Letter from WSC (War Office, Whitehall, SW1 [London]) to David Lloyd George about the situation in Mesopotamia [later Iraq] and Persia [later Iran] including: demands by [Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer] Haldane [Commander-in-Chief, Mesopotamia] for troops and cavalry forces which cannot be met; WSC's suggestions for moving troops from India, Palestine, Constantinople [later Istanbul] and the Rhine; the need for troops in India; the difficulty of the position against the Bolsheviks in Persia;...

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Copy of a minute from WSC to James Grigg [Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer] informing him that he will not circulate the "gold papers" [about the return to the Gold Standard] to the Cabinet and will explain them verbally, because of information obtained by the press about the contributory insurance policy.Carbon typescript. Unsigned.

Scope and Contents Copy of a memorandum to Sir Warren Fisher [Permanent Secretary, Treasury] and Sir Russell Scott [Controller] markled "secret" on the case of a Treasury clerk "Counter" who has sold government secrets to the press. He asks them to draft an announcement for the [Civil] Service and for information about the loss of official documents in the Treasury and the employment of "searchers" to locate them, suggesting the introduction of a docketing and minuting system; plus the use of locked boxes to...

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Ralph Blumenfeld [Editor of the Daily Express], on Blumenfeld's concern about attacks made against WSC in the Daily Express. WSC states that he was a regular reader of the paper, and had never seen any unfair criticism of himself: "above all there has never been anything ... reflecting on private and personal conduct. That after all is the line which politicians and political journalists ought to draw", confirming that there was no breach between them. [Typescript...

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Letter from J L Garvin [Editor of the Pall Mall Gazette and the Observer] (Greville Place [London]) to WSC, on an attack against WSC in the Morning Post [which accused him of recklessness and irresponsibility at Antwerp, Belgium]. Garvin states that he had written an article defending WSC in the Pall Mall Gazette and suggests that WSC might give regular comments to the Observer, warning that censorship would cause increasing viciousness from the other papers.

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Letter from Major S Redway (Gloucester Road, South Kensington [London]) to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on censorship of ship statistics from WSC's speeches and Admiralty reports, when reproduced in the press. Includes notes between Edward Marsh [Private Secretary to WSC] and Rear-Admiral Sir Douglas Brownrigg, Chief Censor, on advice given to the censors.

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Letter from Sir Edward Grey [Foreign Secretary] to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty], on a complaint from the Associated Press of America about censorship of press telegrams on operations in the Dardanelles. Grey urges that telegrams to the United States press should not be censored, as it had a bad effect on British interests, and any information in the telegrams would have little effect anyway. Includes letter from the Associated Press and an example of a censored telegram.

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Letter from Herbert Vivian to WSC, on public meetings and the need for newspaper coverage of the free trade cause.

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Letter from William Robinson (154 New Hall Lane, Preston, [Lancashire]) to WSC (House of Commons) describing how he was forced out of his editorial posts at the Preston Herald and the Darwen Gazette by local Tory leaders, who objected to his support of Free Trade, and soliciting WSC's help in securing a post with a liberal paper. Annotated by WSC: "I will dictate a reply".

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Letter from Sir Sidney Low to WSC, on Canadian desire for an English Preference Party, also commenting that if free traders wanted good press coverage one of their millionaires should buy or start a newspaper, listing the likely attitudes of the press, most of whom would be hostile to the cause.

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Letter from Lord Hugh Cecil [later Lord Quickswood] to WSC, on his inclination to give up politics, advising him not to trust Sir Alfred Harmsworth [later Lord Northcliffe] and the Daily Mail over free trade, listing possible future events in order of preference (his favoured solution was for Joseph Chamberlain to resign as Colonial Secretary.

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Letter from Alfred Harmsworth, [later Lord Northcliffe] to WSC, denying responsibility for coverage of letter by WSC against protective tariffs in the Daily Mail.

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Letter from Thomas Marlowe, Editor, Daily Mail, to WSC, apologies for coverage of letter by WSC against protective tariffs.

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Letter from J.P. Alderson to WSC on the need for a free trade newspaper, and the possibility of the Daily Chronicle being converted into a free trade journal.

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Letter from W. Nicholson to WSC, on unfair report of WSC's address to Whitby Conservative Association in the Yorkshire Herald.

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Letter from Alfred Haserick to WSC, on South Africa, also asking for help in obtaining post as Near or Far Eastern correspondent of a "good" newspaper.

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Letter from Lord Robert Cecil [later Lord Cecil of Chelwood] to WSC, sending articles from The Pilot, on free trade, a "well written and well edited" paper with sound views on the fiscal question, stating that he had invested as much as he could afford in the paper, and hoping that WSC would bring it to the attention of someone who was rich enough to help it.

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Letter from Thomas Seddon junior (22 Station Road, Prescot,[Lancashire]) to WSC on the arguments for and against the Aliens Bill and the influence of the local press in Seddon's area in turning even Radicals against the Opposition. Praises WSC's espousal of "progressive" policy.

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Letter from Sidney Low (2 Durham Place, Chelsea, [London]) to WSC on his inability to influence the change in ownership of the Standard and on that paper's violent tone over the "Baltic Fleet imbroglio" [when the Russian Baltic squadron opened fire on the Hull fishing fleet, mistaking them for Japanese torpedo-boats]. Hopes WSC will approve of his new book, The Governance of England.

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Letter from Lord Hugh Cecil [later Lord Quickswood] (Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire) to WSC discussing the feasibility of establishing a new Free Trade newspaper to replace the Standard.

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Letter from Louis Alber [President, Affiliated Lecture and Concert Association Incorporated] to Senator William Borah, regretting the newspaper coverage of his attempt to arrange for Borah and WSC to debate the question of recognition of the Soviet Union. [Copy].

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Letter from G Wallace Carter, general secretary of the Free Trade Union (8 Victoria Street, Westminster, London) to WSC (Home Office) describing the inadequate British news service in Canadian newspapers and suggesting that a summary of each day's parliamentary debates be cabled to all the Dominions free of charge. Signed typescript. Annotated with instruction by WSC to show the letter to Colonel [John Seely, late Lord Mottistone].

Scope and Contents Letter from [WSC] to the Prime Minister [Herbert Asquith later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] reporting the view of Lord Northcliffe [earlier Sir Alfred Harmsworth] that Liberal journalists have not been as well rewarded with honours as their Conservative counterparts and agreeing with Northcliffe that men like J A Spender, Henry Massingham, C P Scott, Robert Donald and Drysdale (of the Yorkshire Daily Observer) should be rewarded. Reports that Northcliffe believes Spender is danger of being...

Scope and Contents Letter from Herbert Asquith [later 1st Lord Oxford and Asquith] (The Wharf, Abingdon, [Oxfordshire]) to WSC rejecting the assertions of Lord Northcliffe [earlier Sir Alfred Harmsworth] that J A Spender is in danger of being turned out of the Westminster Gazette and that Liberal journalists should be given more honours. Reports that Sir Robert Borden [Prime Minister of Canada] is a little less confident in his ability to do what he wishes and congratulates WSC on the "trouncing" he gave to...

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Letter from Herbert Samuel (Office of Postmaster General) to WSC enclosing enclosing an extract from an official minute on the reporting by telephone of WSC's speech in Belfast [Ulster] [see CHAR 2/59/42-44]. Signed typescript.