◆ SpookStack

SUUEL wtucauag eOCre WAS iL much to hide, T rivalry between 8.1.8, ar . VES ‘he counter-esplonage seh bw § undoubtediy as bilter as Alloy describes, but this was one Isue on which they were Agreed. And the Government seems to bave been behind them. ~.* Fwenty years of defence reporting have convinced me that there ip security grade that carries more welght Secret — Politically pen trials One that British-born = members of the Secret Service had been Russian spies for many years would be far more politicaily embarrassing than the dls- SPpearance of three relatively obscure Foreign Office. men-~ a disappearance which might never require official explana- | tion. Remember that no offictal explanation of Burgess and | Maclean's disappearance was | forthcoming unti 1955 when {t Was forced on the Government hy statements made by a Russian defector in Australia. Even Mr. Harold Wilson, at his when have * in 1963, refuse to comment on Piilby’s own , disclosures, Both S.L8. ana M.L3 perpe- trated their share of clangers, . but ‘it Is hard to credit the clumsiness of the shadowing of Maclean unless it was calculated | to frighten him out of the country. The M.E5 ‘car once bumped into the back of Maclean's taxi confirming his suspiciong that he was ing watched. . es Though he wag supposed to be. under — close surveltianoe in Maclean's." vita Uyncry, missed aclean’s - : " w . Borgess | in. Pall Matt" rortly before the” scape, or ignored it, Ne effort was made to shadow Maclean during the weckend | When he fied, | ralsed until the safely inside Russ In 2 when there was a to see elther Burgess or in a witness-box. It might be asked why Fuchs and George Blake we not encouraged to escape instead of being tried. The fact that both were foreigners might have some bearing. PHILBY’'S altitude to Bil} Harve ¥. the C.LA. man, gives fascinating insight inio his own character, a ashington , and Philby cals it ap “exer. cise in spite” ! fF 6A 6traitors sulfer from character defects. Among Philby's panlty tanks high. As each of these nstalments shows he must always be “ Broved right.” To excuse his own drunken- ness and that of his friends, he considers “a strain of irresponsi- bility“ to be essential to “the | rounded character,” - 4 The character that considered British Institutions so loath- some that he betrayed them, vet could stomach the Stalin-Hitler