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7 v lw Memorandum W, A, Branigan to Be eecz if RE: HAROLD ADRIAN RUSSELL PHILBY Philby claims that prior to “SMRMMARR," departure for London, he (Philby) and Geoffrey Paterson, the MI-5 representative, advised the Director that Fuchs could not be interrogated because of British law but that the Director refused to budge and sent mentee to London to conduct the interview. Philby claims that he had called at "SMQNQQNM office when he heard ‘was back and found someone else in his chair and that He found ‘SME himself further down the corridor writing on the corner of a desk in a small room occupied by four junior Agents. > Wee eee meee os -_ oe ee BSB UVa s0 advia Philby's Statement: In Chapter XII, Philby states that in order to throw off the FBI, he advanced a theory to explain the disappear- ance of Maclean and Burgess that Maclean had discovered he was under investigation by MI-5 in London and used Burgess to make the necessary arrangements with the Soviets for their escape. Philby claims his theory was accepted by the FBI. "Ladd and Lamphere both liked it, and, in a short interview I had with Hoover at the time, he jumped at it. In his eyes it had the superlative merit of pinning all the blame on MI-5." (Page 208g) clean-Ry urgess -S Wee Mac awe ee matter has failed to disclose any information that Philby advanced such a theory or that he had ever discussed the Maclean-Burgess case with the Director. (@) Comment: A search of our files relating to the Ma aad a 8 eS eS ee ee g in Bureau file 8 to show that Phiiby . e