◆ SpookStack

pret) tae poe! —He knew after HE authorities [cnet twelve years of. Inquiries that :— . Maclean was the active any in the Forelgn fice. In Washington, Cairo, and later in the American Department in London, he secured infor- now know mation of great value to the - Kremlin in the cold war, Burgess was the 2) courler who passed this information on to the Soviet Embassy where It was despatched to Moscow in the diplomatic bag. Philby, himself a Soviet agent, was friendly with Burgess fn Washington and knew that he was also & spy. When he heard that Maclean was to be interrogated he warned Burgess. With the help of the Soviet authorities both behind the Iron Curtain within a few hours. In dossiers [ies pattern of. events leading to the escape which has embarrassed the Government ever since is now listed in the official dossiers as follows :— Adverse reports Maclean's drunken and un- stable behaviour had been submitted to the Forelgn Office by the security authoritles and ignored. M.L5 continued to shadow him. Suspicion that he was a traitor grew stronger but there was ~ not enough evidence to arrest him. Grapevine Ee re N May 1951 M.15 sought permission from _ the Foreign Office to interro- gate Maclean in the hope that he would break down : , and confess. The decision to interrogate Maclean was supposed to be known only to about five people. Even the head of .M.15,; the ‘late Sir Percy .Sillitce, knew nothing about it. But the security anuthorl- ties now believe that perhaps | 50 people learned about It on the Forelen Office grape- virre——Ph3by, then a First traitors were safely . HILBY is probably in Czechoslovakia.’ This about - Secretary 4#-the-Zmbassy in Washington was one. He immediately contacted the Soviet Embassy . in Washington which signalled the Russian Embassy in London. Burgess was quickly _ contacted and warned. Philby confessed to - security men five months ago, presumably during uestioning in Beirut or 'Calro where he was working. A link HY was he questioned at so late a date? I can suggest one answer. George Blake, the Foreign Oflce spy sentenced to 42 years’ imprisonment in 1961, ' was also working near Beirut when recalled to London to be arrested. He may have “Indicted Philby in his full confession, Night after night, at Joe’s bar... From PAT ELSTON, Beirut, Monday is the view of Leban- ese officials in Beirut, who issued-a- warrant for his arrest today as soon as it ‘was announced that he had been spying for the Russians. An Egyptian, who knew Philby well from his visits to /Calro, claims to have seen him and spoken to him in a Prague restaurant in February. ~ RETURN? But the most persistent rumour here today is that the Philbys might return to Befrut, as he cannot be ' @xXtradited. | There are also reports that Mrs. Philby is with her hus- band and not, as the Forelgn Office says, in Britain. -“T know where Kim is and I am golng to him,” Mrs. Philby told me two weeks before she left Betrut. *“T Intend placing the chil- dren in English boarding- schools, and then I will be free, The necessary arrange- ments have been made.” Although Philby left the : diplomatic service under a cloud, all official dpors mare open for him here. He knew everyone at the British Embassy and was always invited to official functions. On the night he = dis- appeared, he was. supposed to be dining with Balfour- Paul, the First Secretary ‘at - the embassy. . FRIENDS And it was Mr. Paul who . saw Mrs, Philby off at Beirut Alrport on May 24. They were extremely close friends. ° Last night, members of the - embassy staff would not comment on their friendship wlth Philby. “We have not had the official text of the announce- ment, or advice about the matter yet,” sald John Snodgrass, the attaché in charge of Press affairs. ; At one time, the British Embassy was located in Pheentcia-street, nearly opposite a bar called Joe's, Philby was seen drinking at’ Joe's night after night. He was always talking to the members of the embassy. staff, who would drop in at “their local” after work. Both he and his wife were members of the St. George’s Club, the meeting place for the British commuiity——™ ae OT ~ +p? toe 7. iy Pr i Toe : . P ’ Tip ar “ . ¥ rie i rain ae “ . a ee Se Re. Ce . i SAREE ar wr Shere o iar 2 ere