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FD3SD (Rev. 1-18-89 ] aCe 8 eel a) os ue nan “= a a . mney wi Credible security” * -.. OUR PHILBY INVESTIGATION should yield several .’ ” benefits. It has set a distorted recerd straighter, Jt has made good some of the zrosser half-truths told to = Parliament about Philby himself, and also the downright co official Nes, as unnecessary as they were irresponsible, ‘ te . ry - a 2 - a “+ dmperilled national security. ' On the contrary, such a’. "| ' ; :~ Vital concept surely requires a maturer public awareness _. i ;_ Of its difficulties than has hitherto existed.‘ ‘To remind ,: the public of the K G B's labyrinthine efforts can hardly :, be described as comforting the onemy. 7 “ “» A-secret service’s work must be secret, The question” +, 21 ds to what realms of public deception thatmaxim should ». v7 “extend. Certainly, it should no longer -embrace the =: + diplomatic fiction that the secret service does not exist. ° Aga nravidas af nelitieas] and militar detnllignenn cama Sooo ses 8 PPONGOD Gi powucas ana WaMary smguigence, Some.” ** _ i { limes of great value, ST S’s function should be candidly} ’ «. “Jj acknowledged. But that is not enough, The well-tried. -:. _ adintnistrative precept that efficiency ‘improves vice, , ida a . accountability is not irrelevant even to the secret service. f ©.’ 2 +; t ‘this would probably be best achieved by reviving q ye - 4. °*. proposal much discussed by ofiicialy after the Profumd , 2°": sary j. and Vassall-fiascos of 1963. Mr Geoffrey McDermott, | ;! 2. , who gave advice to the Sunday Times Philby inquiry,:° ~ ; - **) makes his own suggestion in the next column. We... , i: would still favour the 1963 suggestion for a Minister‘. - answerable for both SIS and MI5, not only in Parlia- ~ ‘Y ment but, perhaps more important, to the Press. He. - - * avaid many of the transparent confusions perpetrated | “HT in their object of maintaining public confidence. As a ' * visible, political chief, he would, in the case of SIS,. - replace the uncertain hand of several Foreign Secre- ’./" taries. He would incidentally eliminate the tricky: - problems treated by public identification—fully defen- . 'y ible under present circumstances—of the operatiunal { head of SITS. This degree of overt accountability would} f not infringe on secrecy. It would merely make it more! ‘t eredible and coherent. re i “about the career of Donald,Maclean.,-Official outrage at 2 Such sacrilege ‘does not persuade us that" we * AVG td oe te +’ would, naturally, be limited in what he could say—but '.- . 7 vos : ‘40° 'Rot fn what he could know,. As a spokesman, he would 2-3. : “ & by half-briefed Ministers in the past, which have failed +", ,°: 7 Lee Ne, a mee te reer Ee eed father tee, . " - ep ? ft : . : ‘ Boo . rat&iccn o : ay - . . 5 ’ ‘ SMM yt . . ~ . . . DEL OPY . 0 4 ees crete 8 . “ rt OF : “a i eens a {Indleate page, nome of | . heawapaper, city and state.) |” ie ° As pen a, $ T fons ar Lan Oey... Date: Suef Editiens<: °° % Author: . ' m Editor: ¢ - be meta Rusrell (Philby Character: . Eup ~R. a cleseiieaudip te! bs~-bd'0 4.3 Submitting Officer Z. ee ed oe 6 ' 1 (] Being Investigated