Letter (extract) LONDON, 29 January 1948
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
On our general work on policy questions I think it would be best to list the people who have been pretty regularly my sources of information (a) Under Secretaries of State C.R.O. (Machtig and Carter), Deputy Asst. Under Secretaries of State, C.R.O. (Stephenson, Dixon, Syers), Assistant Under Secretaries of State Foreign Office (various).
(b) Heads of Departments and ‘desk men’ C.R.O., F.O., and Colonial Office.
(c) Principal Private Secretaries to Ministers, F.O., and C.R.O.
(d) Assistant Secretaries Cabinet Office.
(e) A few members of Parliament.
(f) Chatham House, University teachers, Diplomatic correspondents, (e.g. Times, Herald, B.B.C., Economist).
(b) are of course my most regular contacts but (c) are useful, in the Foreign Office particularly for information, and the C.R.O.
particularly for facilitating actions. I have frequently gone to (a) and never hesitate to do so.
The distinction between our relations with the C.R.O. and F.O. is important and significant. Generally when we are taking an active part (e.g. Antarctic, C.F.M., Trusteeship, Italian Colonies), though taking care to know the F.O. men and keeping in touch with them informally, I take my main action through the C.R.O. But if I want straight information then the F.O. is much more useful. In a contentious or doubtful matter I never believe in reporting anything as fact unless I have it confirmed by two sources.
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[AA: A1838, 899/1, 1]