From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Satirical newsletter discussing the importance of wartime secrecy and the dangers of careless talk.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 143\3\ scan0297 | |
| Date | 23th May 1940 | |
| 1204 Mr. Pobottle's News Letter No.22 MAY 23rd, 1940, SLOUGH VITAL SECRETS AND ALL THAT WE are extremely glad to see that our favourite pub and our most high-hat club are now both plastered with Fougasse drawings on the general theme “Don't Blab.” We are glad (a) Because we like Fougasse drawings anyhow. (b) Because we always found “Careless Talk may give away Vital Secrets” a vile phrase. What man, woman or child ever connected him, her or itself with anything as pompous-sounding as Careless Talk or Vital Secrets ? “ Tittle Tattle lost the Battle ” is the phrase which the practical French stick up for the benefit of English visitors. (c) Because these new things have a certain This-Means-You air which really goes to the root of the whole matter. We have had occasion to speak about this before, as the man said when his wife presented him with a third set of twins, and there is no doubt about it that we are all chatting like washerwomen at the moment. Luckily most of our inside information is bunk anyway, but there is at least a chance that every now and again we may Know Something. And if we do, then it seems to be plumb against the whole of human nature not to swank about it. We ourselves were introduced the other night to a party of six men. They were all doing important jobs connected with the war and they did not know us from Adam. Yet for the next two hours every one of them just babbled on giving us and one another private information, only stopping in an annoyed way when one of the others cut in to spill a few more of his beans. We don't suppose Hitler could have won the war on the information they were broadcasting to any one who would listen but at least it would have cost him a certain amount in snooping, postage, false beards and man's time in wearing same. Quite frankly the thing is getting so bad that we are thinking of having our head shaved and adopting a guttural accent simply to discourage chance acquaintances from button-holing us and Letting Us In On Things. For ourselves, we do not talk about Secret Matters in ordinary social intercourse — partly because we never seem to know anything very important and partly because we find one can get a much better effect by a mysterious silence and an occasional slight smile or lift of the eyebrow. Of course we talk to you about Things but that's different. After all, it doesn't matter about your knowing that the Plans are in the top left hand drawer of the desk in room 188 of No. 277 Mudsea Mansions, S.W.17, telephone Mud. 3718. You won't be likely to go and tell Hitler, will you o'man. Ha! ha! ha! ha! . . . . One moment . . . . I wonder why that square-headed man who was sitting in the corner has just made an entry in his notebook and gone out ? Pobottle Printed by Vacher & Sons, Ltd., S.W.1. | ||