◆ SpookStack

an formation which might be helpful for him (the Private gus", “report to the Prime Minister. The Private Secretary handed the Eiipy Director-General the note and asked if he had any comments. Ths Director-General said that very recently the Director-General had (ad a confidential talk with Mr. Profumo in which Mr. Profumo had recdtueted a story that was recognisably the ‘same story: but that the girl was. called Christine and not Kolania: that Mr. Ward was Stephen Ward: and that be was not a “ psychopathic specialist ” but an osteopath. The Deputy Director- General told the Private Secretary that these confidences seemed to have been made by Mr. Profumo in the hope that there might be security grounds for taking action with the Press, by D notice or otherwise, to prevent publication, but this hope was a vain one. The Deputy Director-General and thn vote a and the Private Secretary agreed thet the first step was to tell Mr. Profumo what had been said and ask if there was any truth in it. The Private said he would try and do it that evening. Mr. Profumo would then have to decide whether he should tender his resignation to the Prime Minister or not. The Private Secretary said it would be necessary for him to give the information to the Chief Whip and also to tell the Prime Minister on his return from Kraly. oo. . 128. Late that evening the Private Secretary called on Mr. Profumo and explained that they had had a story about an article that might possibly appear in the Press and which would show him in a bad light. He to!d him that normally he would have reported it to the Prime Minister, but he was out of the country, and asked for advice how to proceed. Mr. Profumo said that he had been in continuous touch during that week with the Attorney- General and the Solicitor-General and he was also being advised by a private firm of solicitors. His solicitor had spoken to someone who was going to put pressure on the Sunday Pictorial not, to publish these articles. His solicitor was also seeing the girl in question at her request since she said she was in trouble. Mr. Profumo suggested that the Private Secretary need not bother the Prime Minister with aii this at this stage. But the Privaic Secietary said it seemed of great importance that Mr. Profumo should see the Chief Whip without delay. And Mr. Profumo said he would do so. 129. It should be mentioned here that on Sunday, 3rd February, 1963, the News of the World published a picture of Christine Keeler saying that she was to be a witness in the shooting case I have described carliet (paragraph 54). Most people seeing that picture would realise what she was. (ix) 4th February, 1963—The Chief Whip secs Mr. Profume 130 Mr. Profumo saw the Chief Whip on Monday, 4th February, at 12 noon. The Prime Minister's Private Secretary was present. Mr, J outlined the story for the benefit of the Chief Whip. The events had all taken place between July and December of 1961. He had @ the bathing pool in July when there had been a pretty cheerful everybody had bathing costumes on. Mr. Profumo said he had in order to get a giggle in the evening, gone round to Stephen Ward's fiat to meet a few young people and have a drink before dinner. Mr. Profumo said that most of the young ladies to be found at this flat were not the sort a} ~