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— fay Sunday Express Reporter... SS ME H. A. R. PHILBY, the’ former diplomat - who was exonerat seven years ago of’ being involved i in the Burgess-Maclean affai has been missing from’. his. “home 'i in, Beirut | for. five weeks, was disclosed last night. - In 1955 Mr. Philby was accused by an M.P. f being the Third Man who‘ tipped off: the fant! fecting diplomats ‘that their arrest was AL poe aS as ee we iaae imminent. He was cleared by Mr. Macmillan, | nen Foreign Secretary, and challenged | the P. s to repeat the accusation outside the se ! 7 se. Fy a az «a = oo be mss Mr. Philby, who i is 49, ‘is “the Middle East correspondent | of. The. Observer. and the Economist. The Observer said last night that ha was last seen in Beirut on January 23 when he left his flat to go to a dinner party at a ‘diplomat’s house the same evening. He failed to arrive. Nor did he send any message. Next day his wife, fearing he might be ill, reported his disappearance to. the Lebanese police through the British Embassy. . “But two days later,” said The Observer statement, “Mrs, . Philby is understood’ to have ree int that the Lebanéss ice inquiries be discontinued Peter she had received A» eassuring letter from her usband. “She subsequently recelved a - I bie sent from Cairo on oar Rebruary 1 and another letter. - *promisin details of her hus- and’s pians later. ‘This letter, .~ postmarked as sent from Cairo” on February 4 and received in +: Beirut on February 8, is the last message 80 far received from Mr. Philby. “It ig understood that the Lebanese police inquiries had shown no evidence that Mr. Philby had left the Lebanon, at least up to January 28. Foreigners leaving the Lebanon normally require an exit visa and their names are recorded at the frontier and airport passport ontrol posts. . “ There is no evidence that Mr. - hilby has been: seen in elther eirut or Cairo since he date his disappearance.” i] MRS. PHILBY | She went on ahead A = Seg: mages Tee Ren ao Ca Pena > : _ ar d " rere gt iad ge re -. we ete