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Cambridge Five Spy Ring — Part 8
Page 47
47 / 101
;
© ‘
THIS FAMOUS
INVESTIGATOR—
AND AUTHOR OF
'SPYCATCHER'
—HEADS A NEW
INQUIRY FOR
THE JEXPRESS
‘There is nothing as yet to suggest that Burgess is behind
the Iron Curtain...or even that he is
OU will assume—if
you believe that the
diplomats Burgess
and }Maclean have dis-
appeared for political
reasons—that I have been
called in because of my
knowledge of the art of
counter espionage, “
That experience, of course,
will be of immense value to
me. Every trick, every ruse |
have Jearned in 34 years’
work will be employed in my
attempt to solve this absarb-
ing mystery.
But I must tell sou at once
‘hat the very nature of this
snquirv—with one historic ex-
cepiion—is foreign to me.
(ecar-old trail
AMITH that one excep-
tiot my fife of
counter espionage has
heen tdevoted to the prerention
of disaster—ithe disaster that
oniy spies and agents can bring
about.
In the Burgess and Maclean
case I have to assume that the
disaster has happened already.
Here I am taking up & trail
& Vear old.
Here T have none of my
former official powers.
Here I am on my own,
When I was first asked to in-
vestigate the disapperrance of
the two men IT had many doubts
end misgivings. Chief amon
ihem was the fact that the trail
I must take up is one year old.
One year cold, too.
Why then have I accented
‘hisbase 2?) When my misgivings
werd greatest I was given access
to tpe findings of the Daily
Express investigating teams, at
home and abroad,
I. was shown #® mass of
evidence, the product of A
vear’s work: photographs. the
reports of handwriting experts,
ames, sddresses facts that
have never been disclosed,
pe ae
Fy have studied
with dcare the impor-
tant. document puh-
lished on Page One of yester-
day'se Express and realised its
implifations — then you will
know \that the’ theorists must
make new start.
But \far that letter from
Burgess—withheld jor a year
ton UD HERE UUEUASUU GHEE UU OUASUEUT OUGHT OGTR
from the friend he wanled to
receive jt—we would not have
known of Burgess’s firm inten-
tion 6 break away from his old
life and disappear.
This, and other details soon
to be disclosed to you, indicaled
to me that the thing was
possible, The Inquiry eseuld he
undertaken. even now; and
given luck—slways a necessary
weapon in my armoury—there
ix a chance of reaching a satis-
faclory conclusion,
Let me tell vou whv 1 stress
the value of “luck” and
“hunches” in an investigation
| by Lieut.-Col.
ORESTE
‘PINTO
of this kind. T have worked on
my hunches before, and many
spies are long since dead
because a hunch was right.
A hunch
HE one important
Tex in my careecc of
counter esplonage
which. like the Burgess and
Mactean case. was Rot the pre-
vention of disaster, was the
tracking of a man after the
event.
Christiaan Lindemans a
Dutchman like mysclf, Was B&
gorilla of a man. He was so
broad you could never realise he
‘stood 6{t. 2ins. in height.
All of us. and everyone in the
Dutch wnderground. knew him
as “King Kone.”
I knew of him as a leader of
that brave movement. He hed
done wonderful work during the
occupation. He had helped a
lot of people escape to us.
Then came Arnhem, and
disastor, I had oa hunch.
Through snoiher agent I cap
tured later I learned = that
Lindemans had given the
Germans all the plans two days
before the airborme drop.
Lindemans was arrested and
flown to England. He confessed +
later committed suicide in @
Dutch prison.
Now whai do we know in ‘his
case? What are the circum-
stances from which such &
hunch might spring ?
WE KNOW the men have
arla
still] with Maclean’
left the country: Gut 2? am
keeping @ completely open mind
as to their whereabouts.
On the evidence, Lam inclined
to the view that Donald Maclean
18 in a country behind the Tron
There is nothing whatever, to
my mind at this stage, to show
or, indeed, behind the ran
Curiain at all
I bave the evidence ol fs
shtyma‘e friends. the evidence of
his unchang-ng insies and
habits. his) luxury - needing
‘character.
There is nothing to show.
even afler a Vears invest:ga-
tion, that he was at any time
Politically suspect.
One word, at this stage. about
the character of these two.
There is evidence of physical
unbalance,
It is w curaus thing tha; lrom
my 34 years in the ruthless
world of counter espionage, plot
and counter plot. 50 per cent. of
the spies and traitors I have
met ave been similarly
affected.
What 3s it nal makes them
spy? Whar is it that makes
them take up (his dangerous,
often poorly pald, life ?
I have given much thought to
this. I think it must be the
agony of mind, the cons'ant
minging of excuement and
terror, the brutal and ever
present sense of fear.
Endless checks
ND now for the
Ate. Already the
great pressure by the
Press throughout the free world
—and this newspaper hag taken
the leadmg role—has served. in
Che way, to add to my diffi-
culties.
The leads I must take up. the
people I must see, rhe endless
checks to be made—all these
things are made harder for me
from the outset because of that
Incessant pressure,
But we shall see... -
The trail
that led
Po. oS wt)
_D
to rari
By DONALD SEAMAN
URGESS drove south,
heading for the Channel,
that evening in May,
one year ago. When be
boarded the steamer
Falaise at Southampton, he
was accompanied by
Donald Maclean. ‘
Burgess had made a detour to
Martean'’s hame afar Wester-
ham to pick him up
They arrived, with minutes to
spare. Maclean had uo fug-
gage except a bricfcase.
Burgess loaded his two suite
cases on beard, carried a black
° = official) briefcase with him.
They
made no effort to
elher passengers. y dis-
embarked at St. Mald at siz
oelock en the morning pf Mar
9, and made their way lite
the port—carrying onlk their
briefcascs
* *
WHAT DID THEY Lo BE-
TWEEN THAT TIME AND
11.30 A.M.? For those five
aud a half hours Maclean and
Burgess vanished again.
At 11.30, it has been established,
the two diplomats hailed St.
Malo daxidriver Albert Gilbert,
and asked him to drive them
to Rennes in time to catch the
L.18 p.m. to Paris.
drank at the ‘bar, but
mjx with
4
*
Githert. covered the 45 miles’
journey ia 90 minutes. He
was pald aio 500-Tranc lip
(roughly 10s.) over aud above
the fare of 4.500 francs
Maclean and Burgess teft} bim
and) walked towards [| the
station. :
* * *
Weeks later it was learned in
Paris that two men, answering
+ the description of the missing
diplomats, had called at the
Czech Embassy in Paris.
For obvious reasons—wirn could
question Czech Entbossy
officials an the story ?—the
report remained unconiirmed,
THE STATION AT RENNES is
the last positive clue that
Colonel Pinto has to take “up. |
WHAT NOW? Colonel Pinto's progress repprts
will appear only in the Daily Express
WORLD COPYRIGHT: Reproduction in part or whole forbidden y
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