◆ SpookStack

Re 7 imrgediate break in the con- twho formed in the lands ccc at the age of 36. tinulty of the Munich Policy, Bled by the Nazis an immens At ast stendt fae urpdse roughout the period of the [potential resistance. . nd his calculations, assisted by pigney war if seems almost Like many other Brito series of fortunate chandes cerfain that some of the British [Burgess saw the best hope o md coincidences. he was In- leaders, unable ta swallow the = victory—short of entry into the eed near the centre of power, humiliating fact that Hitler had war Of Soviet Russia and When he talked to me of tricked them. _ still hankered America—in the organisation of those Foreign Office days Guy after their old Plan of a this underground resistance. recalled an incident, still rememe "second Munich,” this time He put up & Memorandum to bered by senior officials with directed against Soviet Russia, this, "effec and helped to mingled amusement and horror. Oro Mherefore kept the antenn org nittect secluded estate Bevin committed himself in “Of negotiation — stil] waving in Hertfordshire what he waa inel iateral Angio- _ faintly “In Hitler's direction-~ Id was the first school for panciple radeae agreement Perhaps through Switzerland, civilian saboteurs. which he feared he would have The change came when Chur ; diMiculty in persuading the chill becume Prime Minister.» AMBITION hinet to accent. ' Soon after that the gravest oo He mmerefore san bed tote . . . . * : e858 “France Sell te Britain fought This is his chance Peatie a friend's yacht, Ye _9n alone. es oined the yacht at Poole, dit : et Britain was not entirely N 1941 he , undertook , Rad to stay within the thr ial ne besides the tree forces tise gor pith ; t , the ans 5; simul- : swe king wpeope millions of taneously returned to his old ‘mile itmit because he had not a aul largely Unorganised, gjob at ‘the BBC, where he - 06 Ained the King’s Permissi . Stayed for nearly three years | leave the coun ry. More. . a Soon he made a “ discovery ” Blons Absence news of tHe - lo = American ro H which was to play an important : reached his colleagues” Tn r Part in his subsequent career. * Feaction was as he had exp. He found that Hector McNej ted. Number 10, Downing-street .P. for Greenock, was & firs telephoned the Foreign Office. rate broadcaster and used hi Guy happened to he on duty, in the “ Week ir Westminster “The Prime Minister wants This professional relationsht Urgently eaereien Secretary developed into personal friend- urgently ‘ sald Number 0. phip ‘a and in jess, when He's away. Salad Guy, cNe came ister o “Find him,” said Number 10, State at the Foreign Office, he ; This was easier to demand Invited Guy to be ols personal than to effect. Bevin had assistant, craftily ensure that the yacht By then he was already work- should not be in wireless com- , Ng at the Foreign omice, He munication with the shore. | had stayed at the BBC. anti McNeil's Private Secretary, ; the end of 1943, Then he was Mr. Fred Warner, « , : : ~ ; went down to ‘ anvited to join the Foreign P ee 3 5 ffice News Department under | cole and tried to semaphore to Mr (now Sir) Wiliam Ridsdale, the yacht. His original ambition to °: At last. after many messages enter the public service, in the had been sent, Warner saw Tull sense of the term. had never ° What Appeared to be the Foreign jeft him, The News Department Secretary's ample form being was ® useful back-door to the rowed landwards, . Foreign Office ttself, There was a good deal of ‘spray, and he seemed to be wi CALCULATION ‘corered by & waterproor she Se . en the boat toucheg la oe . “the waterproor sheet was t This is his power de—and two saflors jumped out from under it, 8 an historian, he had always been fascin- ated by the idea and character of the eminence prise the shadowy but influential figure lurking at the elbow of @ Public man. I have tittle doubt that, per- haps half-consciously, he himself too, ag McNeil's Pp sonal Assistant, in this Toke, ‘As Minister of State McNpil . . eld Cabinet rank. In c : ? * —_ bsences abroad, or through ess, of his chief, Ernest evin, @ often had to act as Foreign ecretary. .