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Annotations of documents gleaned from the British American Tobacco Company (BATCO) and BAT Industries documents at the Minnesota Tobacco Industry Document Depository. There are twenty-six boxes, (18 from BATCO, and 8 from BAT Industries (mainly financial statements, which should be of interest to those tracking industry structure). The material in Minnesota represent about ten percent of a larger cache in Guildford, England, also now open to the public. The box numbers here refer only to this Minnesota Select Set but the Bates numbers should be equivalent.

1. 21 September 1987, letter from Chairman Patrick Sheehy a to BAT Group directors, BAT 201068022 - 023.

   Celebrating Brown and Williamson's victory over CBS, awarded over three million dollars in damages against CBS allegations that B&W marketed to children. It won, said Sheehy, because all advertising had to be vetted by the lawyers. Sheehy asks all companies to develop a stringent policy on such advertising.

   Notable quote: "Flagrant breaches of Group policies should be a disciplinary matter and employees should be in no doubt that steps will be taken which may extend to termination of employment if their actions put at risk the reputation of a Group company."

2. 21 February 1990, minutes, "RS", "A meeting of the Tobacco Strategy Review Team...9th February 1990," BAT 201071135 - 140.

   Discussion by BAT companies of new products, like Y-1 tobacco, low sidestream smoke, ammonia treatment, marketing of various products, some 49 items of business.

   Notable quotes: "It was agreed that all companies would review their requirements for Y-1 tobacco and would place orders during the next 30 days for delivery in 1991 either from Brazil or through arranging, as has already been done in Canada, to have Y-1 grown in other countries where the Group could exercise sufficient control to ensure exclusivity." "Regarding low sidestream products, it was noted that there was a potential problem in that some products with a reduced visible sidestream actually have an increased invisible sidestream (e.g. Virginia Super-slims are said to have high CO numbers – which would be a problem in Canada where Co numbers are shown on the packs)." "The importance of introducing ammonia treatment as the means for producing an authentic US taste was again stressed."

3. 9 September 1983, letter from Patrick Sheehy to George Weissman (Philip Morris, New York), BAT 201080394 - 395.

   The fight between PM and BAT over BAT"s claim in Europe that Barclay cigarettes had 1 mg tar by machine testing, when the ACTRON grooved ventilation filter supported compensation to considerably higher levels..

   Notable quotes: "Philip Morris Holland B.V. recently took out full-page newspaper ads in violation of Dutch law to republish an anti-smoking group's slander of Barclay. Upon demand, your company offered to cease this advertising but declined to publish a retraction, leaving us no recourse except through the courts. The current campaign of the Dutch Anti-smoking groujp expressly deplores the growth of Light cigarette sales in that country and seeks ways of reversing the trend. They have singled out Barclay merely because it is the latest success. The overall thrust is against all cigarette brands including those of your good company. I find it incomprehensible that Philip Morris would weigh so heavily the short-term commercial advantage from deprecating a competitor's brand while weighing so lightly the long-term adverse impact from an on-going anti-smoking programme. I believe this is the first time a Tobacco Manufacturer has purchased space to promulgate the anti-smoking position. In doing so, Philip Morris not only makes a mockery of Industry co-operation on smoking and health issues, but also appears to inaugurate a free-for-all in which illegal conduct is condoned provided the commercial stakes are high enough."

4. November 1978, position paper, unsigned, "B.A.T. Board strategies. Smoking and health: Research and development. Strategies and constraints," BAT 201766653 - 664.

   This secret document lays out a multi-year vision of the business: research, products, publications, passive smoking, social responsibility, marketing and advertising, among others.

   Notable quotes: "Research into the effects of low tar and nicotine cigarettes on ease of quitting smoking will be undertaken." "While the addition of nicotine would give more freedom of cigarette design in some circumstances, because of the legal and public relations problems and the possibility of production errors, nicotine, as an isolated identifiable chemical material, should not be added in our products. However these objections do not necessarily refer to tobacco or tobacco extracts." "In the present climate [this phrase hand- stricken] it is considered quite undesirable to encourage children to smoke or to encourage people to smoke to excess." "Wherever possible Companies should attempt to reach joint agreement with their competitors that they will mutually refrain from promoting brands in terms of explicit health claims."

5. 18 May 1990, minutes, unsigned, "Tobacco Strategy Review Team," BAT 201828217 - 223.

   Considerable discussion of testing of Y-1 tobacco, Brown & Williamson with two million pounds on hand.

BAT INDUSTRIES BOX 2/4

1. 7 July 1992, briefing note, unsigned, "Briefing note on Supreme Court ruling," BAT 202731163 - 165.

   Legal analysis of ruling that smokers cannot sue claiming that after 1969 they were not adequately warned of the risks of smoking. Express warranty ("cigarettes won't hurt you") and intentional fraud or misrepresentation by concealment or positive statements in ads or to government, are exempted.

   BOXES 3/4, 4/4 ARE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ONLY.