ES                                                     London
this telegram must be
c1osely paraphrased be-                      Dated December 27, 1941
fore being communicated
to anyone.    (B)                                 Rec'd.  10:45 p.m.
 
 
Secretary of State,
 
     Washington.
 
     6234, December 27, 7 a.m. (SECTION FIVE)
 
     Staff of the Executive:  special conference.
 
     The executive is served by a small full time
 
staff of civil servants headed as chief officer by
 
the recently retired head of an important Depart-
 
ment of State. It is their duty to keep the Execu-
 
tive informed of all questions arising for consider-
 
ation and to issue the necessary memoranda, agenda,
 
minutes and reports.  (these are kept as brief as
 
possible consistently with clarity and are formulated
 
in confidence each copy being serially numbered and
 
registered to the recipient). They arrange special
 
conferences to consider questions which are not of
 
sufficient importance to bring before the Executive
 
or on which preliminary work is necessary and run
 
committees appointed by the Executive to work out the
 
detailed application of agreed policies or to take
 
charge of questions requiring continuous and detailed
 
oversight. It is the function of this staff to follow
 
                                                  up the