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LOCAL MAILBOX. LONDCN CAP)-A CHRISTMAS LITTER IN THE HANDWRITING OF CUY BURGESS, BRITISH DIPLOMAT WHO VANISHED 2 1/2 YEARS AGC, WAS DELIVERED AT HIS MOTHER'S HGME TODAY. SHE SAID IT WAS THE FIRST REAL EVIDENCE THAT HER SON IS STILL ALIVE, DONALD MACLEAN, AN D$ BURGESS AND HIS FOREIGN OFFICE COLLEAGUE AMERICAN AFFAIRS EXPERT, DISAPPEARED ON MAY ds, 1951. THERE HAS BEEN WIDE SPECULATION THAT THEY FLED TO THE EAST To HELP THE COMMUNIST WORLD IN ITS COLD WAR AGAINST THE WEST. _ BURCESS* MOTHER, MRS.EVELYE! BURGESS BASSETT, SPEAKING FROM HER AFARTNENT NEAR PICCADILLY CIRCUS, SAID SHE WAS "ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN® HER SON WROTE THE LETTER SIGNED tn HIS NAME. "iT IS A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS PRESENT " SHE SAID. "IT IS THE FIRST REAL SIGN WE HAVE HAD THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE.” A FRIED OF MRS.BASSETT TOLD REPCRTERS IT WAS "QUITE A HAPPY LETTER" CONTAINING ORDINARY CHRISTMAS GREETINGS, AD PoHERE WAS NO INDICATICN IN IT OF WHERE GUY MAY BE," THE FRIEND DED. CONTENTS OF THE LETTER WERE NoT PUBLISHED. THE PENNED DATE OF THE MESSAGE WAS SIMPLY "NOVEMBER." IT WAS POSTMARKED MCNDAY NIGHT, HOWEVER, AND IN THE DOCKYARD AREA OF LONDON, . THE LAPSE GF TIME BETWEEN THE WRITING AND THE MAILING OF THE LETTER SUGGESTED THE POSSIBILITY THAT BURGESS SENT IT TO A FRIEND HERE TG BE POSTED. ; THE FACT THAT IT WAS PCSTED IN A DOCKYARD AREA ALSO SYGGESTED A POSSIBILITY THAT BURGESS, IF ACTUALLY IN AN IRCH CURTAIN COUNTRY, SENT THE LETTER TO ENGLAND IN THE CARE OF A SEAMAN, WHO DROPPED iT IN A WELIIGAES 12/23 - ad Tore ‘ a ene nee ee ENCLOSHEE CY