◆ SpookStack

« 3 ae fledged _officer-.of. the Boviet . Pek gervjce: : we eye ow did it ail. begin’ My oe % decision [to play an active “ Vines part in the strugaie against OW “ he Sy Feaction Was mot the resuit of UG -} ‘sudden conversion My earliest .f thoughts on politics turned me tory: of 1.4 towards the Labour movement ; rt. 7 f and one of my first acts on . -g going up to Camoridze in 18. lf TMOG... fe was join” the Cambridge Doone University Socialist Society For . the first two years. I attended Fits meetings with regularity. but Otherwise took little part in ite proceedings Co 1 S.appointmen Through general reading Lt ‘het of cover-io' became gradualiy aware that out sufficientig the Labour Party in SGritain ty attaining posk, stood well apart from the my service t¢ mainstream of the Left as a n would be most’ . world-wide force But the real connection with turning-point in my thinking seen against my, came with the demoralisation imitment to the’ and rout of the Labour Party vhich T regarded ‘in 1931. It seemed incredibie ~w, the inner fof | that the party should be 50 rid movement ; , helpless against. the reserve ae _, Strength which ’ mobilise in time of crisis - More ., important atill. the fact that a oe ' 4-4 supposedly sophisticated -elec- yearor twoll: torate had oeen stampeded by 2? ttle Duri the cynical propaganda of the 1 was a sort_¢ii day threw serious doubt on the ‘pationer. I atpl. validity of the Assumptions a. wonder at the underivying arliamentary -e ahown by ny , democracy as a whole “Oy che! patienfe dit -was tne Labour disaster ol ding ei inte! '# 1931 which first set me seriously : 4, thinking about possible alterna. week,’ We Would: tives to the Labour Party tather of the began to take a more active part ‘Baces in Londog+ in the proceedings of the Cam- x IT would reath. bridge University Socialist us empty hang. Society, and was its treasurer h a Joa of Paine in 1932-3 This brought me into a nonit on. @ d’ | contact with streams of Left t Was OfG@n! wing opinion critical of the t my fallure“?i.: Labour Party. notably with the vag worth whfe,”; Communusis. Extensive reading bg Went on ay! and growing appreciation of the hen the time came.) classics of European Socialism we T fannd meadlf 4 aliae vk. alternated with vigorous and Ree SB CUPLARENE LAA Ogee 4 much yof.. tog i sometimes heated discussions al sash ot h prithin the society. =e ABE AL BS. 8 SOW and brain Reaction could. believed were at Cambridge. in the summer - of 1933. that I threw off my last doubts | left the university: with a degree and with the con- viction that my life must be devoted to Communism How. -where and when IL became a member of the Boviet Intelligence Service 18 a matter for myself and my comrades 1 will only gay that when the proposition was made to me I did not hesitate One does not look twice at an offer of enrol. ment in an elite force. . The first serious crisis of my career wat long drawn oul. last- ing roughly from the middie of 51 to the end. of 1955 Throughout tt 4 Was sustained | by the thought that nobody could pin on me any link. wit Communist organisations. for the aimple reason that I had never been a, member of any _..Dhe first $0 years of my work . far for the the cause which I from the begin- ning. spent underground hie: jong pnase started in Central Europe in June 1033: 1 ended. in the Lebanon in January 1963 - Only then was I able lo emerge in my true colours. the colours af a Soviet Intelligence officer. - After pearly a year of illegal activity in’ Central . Europe (Philby ta reterring here to the 1930's, when he fust left Cambridge} 1 returned to Eng: land. It was time for me to start earning my own living Then something evidentiy appenea Within a few weeks I hac dropped all my political friends and had begun to fre- uent functions ‘at the German bassy I joined the Anglo- German Fellowship. and .did much of the leg-work involved - in an abortive attempt to start, with Nazi funds. a trade journal designed to foster good relations between Britain and Germany epuce "an" - down there -which censorship were in progress, I paid several visits to Berlin for talks with the Propaganca Ministry and the Dienststelle Ribbentrop No one Nas so tar suggested that [ had switched trom Com- munism to Nazism The simpler. and true explanation ‘is that: overt and covert links between Britain and Germany at that tume were of serious concern to the Soviet Government The Spanish war oroke oul — during one of my visits to Berlin The Nazi were cock-a- heop and it was not until 1 - returned to Engiand that I learned that Genera! had not.taken over the whole country but tha! a long civil war was in prospect oo My next assiqnment was lo Fascist - occupied territory in Spain with the aim of bedding as close to the centre of things as possible. on a long-term baris. That mission was successful for within a few .weeks T became the accreditec correspondent of The . Times aelek Ren man! with Franco's forces. and served as such througtout the whole’ heart-breaking war Again, no one haa suggested that this made me a Falinglsta The simnler exnlanation holds the field’ T was there on Sovier cervice.' . ‘ August 1939. when the- war clouds were pliline up fast over Danzig The Times told “ome to forget Soain and hold mvself in read‘ness for attach- ment to any British force that might be sent to the Western Front . . lt was as good as | could Nave expected In the circumstances Any war correspondent with an inquiring mind could amas & huge amount of information would | not . allow him to publish. ang m experience in Spain had taught me the right sort of question - As it tur / gut;-> British *y : Dee a antabtianeds: ee dla pet Tea me. still © of the capital. not only obvious purpose of phila But, good as it Was, tt post was mot good ena I had been told In term: by my Soviet that my first prioriiy the British Secret Servic: the Press corps lefi fo: in early October [ dr few hints here and th: thar I coud then do back and wait | lt Was in the summer to the best of my kr. that | first made cont the British Secret Serv wgervice was a subject - interested me for sor In Nazi Germany and Spain. i had all exp approach. was oonfident that recognise my man the he made his firs, soundings. He wou'dc and bronzed. of cours clipped moustache accents and, most pr clipped mind, He wou. to stick my neck on country and frown au T mentioned pay But oc, nothing pa} (The @pproach finc in the torm of a pha The Times wiqw g was avauvable far “war Soon afterward. mvself in the forecou St. Ermin’s Hotel. James's Park station, ° Miss Mariorie Maxse. an intensely iikeab.. lady (then almost as am nowt I[ had no- sas I have no idea now precise position in Rc Was But she spoke with and was evideatiy in: at ieast jfecommen .* interesting" employ: : E-passed nig firat exa AS We: Da ‘Misa: Ma FARES. aL me 40"