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e first of the Foréign Office’ Mmiptakes is that since an excep tionally high standard 1s rightl demanded of persons in t .. Foreign Service, what they on duty is not all that mat- ters. ‘The personal misbehaviour of both these péople was notorious. Why should it have been considered, in the case of Mactran, irrelevant; or only as relevant as, say, a ilability gto- migraine? Thirty years ako, there is little doubt, anybody ko guilty of personal misbehaviobr would have been discharged, without any softhearted or soft- headed seeking for psychological or physical explanations, They would have rightly been judged not the sort of people whom the Foreign Office could employ. t it bé noted that positive vet~ Ung, that js to say, inquiry into people’s background and hattts, --#eems-only to date back util 1952 —- more than six monjhs after the disappearance, . * * * _ Nobody has explained why !t was not instituted earlier. There | is no McCarthyism about It at all. For when Mr. MacmrILan argues that notorious personal other weakness in jthe Fortign Office case is the d#lay in giving the present explanha~ tiony. They might have bpen given at any time after the delinquents had bolted; and it fs at least satisfactory that the inane conclusion of the White Paper—explanation might have helped “ the other side "—1s now abandoned. How they managed to bolt is of ‘Httle importance. There is a great deal to be sald in accordance with the spirit of . British justice for not clapping people in gaol on suspicion. But this does not excuse the fallure to relleve public anxtlety earlierg nor the attempt to lull it, up tq the vary moment of the White Paper, by asserting that Mac ean jhad always performed his duties * shtisfactorily.” Of course, there are still obscure polnts. For example, if Burcrss and MACLEAN were “tipped off,” who was the tipper? One person, orlgi- nally named in the House of Commons, was exonerated yes- téerday, But there really was no reason why a great part of Mr. MacMILLAN’s speech, including his references to. Mrs. MACLEAN, could not have been delivered months ago. ee ee =. habits and indiscretions are The Forelgn Office will recqver hot compatible with spying, {yom this blow—for blow {i is. surely he is thinking of former,- It) would be grossly unfair’ to hot of present days. Itis just -————_—=— Such things which subject the ~ think that a few black sheep viet. Persons concerned to blackmail. They become open to pressure to give information on pain of exposufe ahd fuin. © Persorial behaviour should be more than ever a criterion of fitness to be employed in the Foreign Service: a Mr, Macmittan's speech was ' at"\east reassuring for the igdi- cation that it is now restored as ake & flock of goats; and We. ali know the high quality pf ny in the Foreign Service. Nor, as Mr. Macmitzian rightiy contended, is there anything in the new methods of recruitment likely to lower the quality. We are not asking for a “closed shop.” What we are asking, and seem now to be getting, is a éfsured, good will come - @ criterion. system of. ensuring that shady + *#: * -characters, whatever. “tholr , 0 lity, shall not be employed fn ; cc ithe public service. If tha, can be . outfot: AY } woe? ‘@ iL — wf?” Poe J re . Spt fe é ne caiee ey ae ‘ a _. t- . say = 4 ee : on Saige art a! Ll gen OE ea oe aS ak + eee See eae a ‘ Re a a Se Seed Spb ee, aren coe 2 nat