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Sata eee OL “yt eee f . we CHAPTER xiv wen i "2nd MARCH, 1963-Sth JUNE, 1963 UNEASY TWO | (@) The Home Secretary asks for Information 195. The Home Secretary believed Mr. Profumo's personal statement. He had absolutely no reason for disbelieving him. But it ieft him feeling very suspicious towards Stephen Ward. Then he heard rumours that the Security Service had been so worried that they had sent anonymous Ietters to Mrs. Profumo. The Home Secretary felt that he ought to ksow the facts. So on 27th March, 1963, he sent for the Head of the Security Service and the Commissioner of Police and asked to be put into the picture. There was present too the Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Home Office. The meeting was so valuable that it affords a useful pattern as to the way in which such a problem of mixed security and police interest—should be 196. At this meeting the Head of ‘the Security ‘Service told the Home Secretary that there was no truth whatever in the rumours that they had sent anonymous letters to Mrs. Profumo. He then gave the Home Secretary an outline of the steps the Service had taken, and said that, when Ivanov had left the country, the security interest had ceased. Then he added two matters of such importance that I set out this record of them made by him the vey next day: . : a (ld) “In addition to this there ‘had been ‘statements by Christine Keeler and one or two others that Stephen Ward had urged Christine to ask Mr. Profumo for information about American intentions to provide the West Germans with the Bomb. If these allegations were true, there might well be a case against Stephen Ward under the Official Secrets Act .. . we thought however that the witnesses in any such prosecution would Prove unreliable and we were not inclined to pyrsue the matter.” oe (2) “ The security interest in the whole case was limited to Ivanov and his contacts, and it was no part of our business to concern ourselves with what Ward was up to in connection with the girls with whom he associated. The Home Secretary agreed with this. ot A ee sO ae ser ila e 197, The Home Secretary then asked the Commissioner “of Police whether there was a police interest. The Commissioner said that there probably would be grounds for the prosecution of Stephen Ward if the police were able to get the full story, but he very much doubted whether they would succeed in this. _— 198. Two things are to be noticed about this mecting: (1) It was the first occasion on which any Minister had been the request for information about the bomb. The Home Secretly did not know he was the first to be told about it. He did not pass if on to any other Minister. He thought he was simply being brought up to date by the Security Service. 65