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_Both men, knowing they werg being watched, reported the | fact to Moscow, which arranged their escape. _| The Foreign Office has been prompted into — digclosing some of its inférmation on these men b new claims, reported at the week-end, by Vladimir Petrov, the Soviet dip] with the Russian Embassy in Canberra and sought asylum with the Australian Government. The British official admissions have been made after four years, during which scores put to members of bothy—- .-———- Socialist and Conserva-] tive Governments have been answered evasively. Me As long ago as April, 1954, ' Mr. Petrov made statements about Burgess and Maclean. the Foreign Office officially. aljected the whereabouts T to place fi reliance in them. This week-end, however, Mr.| that they were under investigation | Petrov has published a more de- and consequently reported the! ‘tailed statement, which has ter to Moscow?" ‘The spokes- prompted the Foreien Office to dig- mipn replied: “We believe this to close knowledge at its disposal, The ba correct.” - Fowtign Ollice spokesman, neverthfe-, ‘hen asked if either or both of sf. Was limited. in his replies fo; thb men had carried away dpcu- questions But to him, ments available ta them “in {the “AGENTS FOR 20 YEARS” QUERY SPOKESMAN SELENT | Asked if lt were correct. according te Mr. Petrov, that.’ both these men Mr. Selwyn Lloyd, Minister of State, told the House of Com- mons about the missing dislomats as Mr. Petrov had been able to cive had been of a Hmited and general character: to be based on Ncarsay rather! than on personal knowledge, j that such informa Were long-term Soviet agents." spokesman replied: ° We believe this to be true? He would taake no ¢ommertt on Mr, Petrov's further statement that both. *" recruited while’they were still undergraduates Burgess and Maclean for Intelligence at Cambridge 20 years. ago.” ther, he could not. sav for how long it was thought that they had been agents for Moscow, Mr. Petrov stated replied: * under active ins secqrity authorities. o t is trae that Maclean Burgess's It appeared fn an article published in an Australian mornigg and an English Snuaday newspaper piiat. the reason for their flight was =’ siniple and urgetity they discovered . that they were under investigation by the British Security Services.” To. this the Foreign Office spokesman investigation by 4 omat who gave up his post of questions evidence to Warrant of atchers. Evaded hen statement was forthcoming. plied, however, that tile Britain tion track of them was lost. not revealed. course of their EMBASSY CONTACT M.V.D. Official the Spokesman, a member of the police) attached were M.V.D. work Fur- was from 1945 to 1948. senicr in the M.VD, When in September, Melinda. Maclean Switzerland, Kislitsin, to nyssien to conimunicate with the omen med her journey dpm Curtain, had to tell Mr. by with Burgess and Maclean, sul aniiity for continued foreign service emnfovment was under investigation anche had already been withdrawn from Washington.” employment, Spokesman would make no ansbver. Nor had he any direct evidence that the two men were in Moscow, wha behind eB (Céentinued on P. 10, Col. 3). He added: “ There was insufficient Maclean's arrest, nor were there powers: to ib the mien leaving the country: SCAPE FROM BRITAIN No further explanation of this last Tt ‘int both Burgess and Maclean evaded those watching their movements. They escaped from in’ the Southampfton-St.! Malo boat, whence their journey led | them to Rennes, in Brittany. After this, according to all infor. mation available up to the present cof Whether or not toeir plans to escape were known fo the British Security Services is The question was asked: “Haq Burgess and Maclean become aware the The identity of the contaet in the Soviet Embassy in Londen through whom Burgess and Maclean worked during. their service in the Foreign Office was not confirmed by the Tt. Seems beyond doubt, however, that it was FV. Kislitsin. (secret i to the Embassy whose period of service in London Later Mv. Kislitsiri became Second Secretary at the Sovier Embassy it Canberra. There Mr. Patrov was. his, 1983. utes | disappeared get per-; sta had the i bLray tae history of his own associktion ACCESS TO | NEORMATIO 'ON ATOM WORK) ; Ky LEONARD BisHTIN Datly Telegtayly Science Correspondent i The Foreign Otfice a¢know- ‘ledgment that Maclean and! Burgess iad been “long-term Soviet agents,” has implications far beyond the purely diplo- matic sphere. It means that the Russians were in & position to gain important information about Allied potential in, the atomic field during the critieal periud af the end of thé war when relations between that Soviet Wiien atid the West had! ceased to be those of allies i Soon after joining the British] Embassy fu New York as First \Secretary in 1944, Maclean became jacking head of Chancery, which ‘meant that he had access td every :decument not specineally marked ‘for the ambassador only. ' He was also secretary of whatpwas known as the Combined Pdlicy committee. This had Been set) up under the terms of the Quebec agpeement between President Ropsevelt, Mr. Ghurcbill and Mr. enzie King, to keep all sections (Of Lhe atomic project. under constant The tommittee. which was com- inosed of United States and British ;Commonwealth representatives on. a (50-60. basis, had the task of . TERICAN REPRESENTATIVES i straightening out any dimiculties that might arise between the Allies in the development of the Alomic projects. It also asportioned supples of uranium. At the “receiving end” of rdiplomatie channel in Londen dur- ing part of this: pertod there was Burgess, who, as assistant private secretary to Mr. Hector MeNeil Minister of State at. the Foreign Office, from Dec. 1946 to Nov. 1948, was in a strong pasition to abtain information that. he needed. Burgess, who Had been withy the L_B:C. for. several years beforel the IMkir, Bad alsdé worked for two Wears ap the War Office in the early Years of the war on confidential works the n wire of which has never been disclosed. een the) i i