◆ SpookStack

‘ » LD drop Guy, wen’; you” "quest from my host as I made my way to my car, after «party which wag the first coca- sion upon which I had come Barons 2 reese since his return. more of less in race, from Washington, is OO “Don't be silly,” I replied, with what. I thought to be quite commendable wit for the early hours of the morning, “I dropped him ages ago.” To be honest, "it was boredom rather than disapproval that caused mie to abandon him that - night. A good talker: when ordinarily tight, which, like Maclean, he ordinarily was, he became a “crasher” when his publio- drinking followed the Muscovite pattern of his not so very private thinking, Sprrows and spies mO the last time I laid eyes upon him be was domg an imitation, not less nassable for being anticipatory, of Kruschev’s garruloug and convivial farewell to Tito. However, since this has -been very much. .Burgeset and Mac: lean memorial week and their now offelally dischosed activities have successfully competed in the public prints not only with the fascinating discovery of ‘Felemachus’ bathroom in King Nestor’s palace at Mycenas, but even with the more modest Lospitality of the living nigh- well-born in Venice. we must return to the wanderings of ‘these two lost black sheep and search for the identity of the shepherds responsible for letting them 20. AS we quoted at the time to a harassed Foreign. Office celal : am. Vaaa> “When sorrows come, they : come not single sples, “But in battalions.” Tt was the fault of the Foreign Office to appear to hare filed away the- Burgess . Maclean affalr under the classification “sorrows” instedd of that of “soles.” In what appeared to bea spirit of civilised toleration not. previously extended. even. to. brillant ambassadors who had had the misfortune to be in- volved in. contested divorce suits, Whitehall cast a protective veil of secrecy over what it an- peared to dismiss ag the ex- lois of young officials whom ollywood psychiatrists. might havej called “two crazy mixed- up kids.” ' Not thought was given to legitimate public concern about ALASTA was the plaintive re - what two crazy mixed-up kids Were doing in the Civil Bervice in the first place, OF course, the Foreign Office - ig ruled by the Treasury and in that hotbed of eexentricities Burgess and Maclean, might have passed as almost stuffily respectable in their orthodoxy. But as Lerd John Hope and his chief, Mr. Macmilian, last week reminded us this was not the sort of matter to. be adfudi- cated upon by permanent officials, however senior. it was a problem fox Minis- terial decision and in this case the Minister was Herbert Morrison, Perhaps Mr. Macmillan and Lord Jonn Hope had this in mind when they sought to nattow the blame down Ministerfal shoulders Certainly has been the report that the Soclalisia, and of all Socialists, Mr. Morrison as their spokes- man. propose to demand # full- Seale investigation into the workings of the natlonal security system, Such an investigation should start. jts work by fn- yestigating Mr. Morrison’s part lip ital é “Oo apology | TTHREE days after the two “ agents. knowing them- selvés to be “ burnt,” as the say- ing In the profession goes. suc- cessfully sought from their foreign masters the asylum that jis so rarely able to be granted fo persons in their predica- ment, I Spectilated in this space about thelr fate in as frank a matiner ag an indulgent. lawyer would allow me, Though, in fact. the article was actlonable, I ieared Do action, I challenged the colleagues ;. riors of the two miss- and su Ing diplomats to put their hands on their hearts and say that they had never had grounds for suspecting them of he activities of which. they are flow officially accused. * The challenge was not taken ‘up. But Mr. Morrison” qués- toned about my article in the Commons, went out of his way to reject ils now proven assump- a strive s i Parstys Afi Morrison, of caurse, really has been co-operdting, over and.above the eal of duly, with Britcin’s bungling counter-eaplonage service, which was anzious, no doubt, to persuade Moscow that Burgess ond Maclean. were double agents. And the tong delay tact éiapsed before the Kremlin began to weallyu has 4 erploit the two. men’s: knowledge of ‘YSritisk. and American psychology - might have been thaught to Aave brought success to this operation. IR FORBES ' qtions, and no _ the cheekiest trick of the week . apology Trom him has ever been forthcoming, It was evident, I said then, that our security arrangements were in the hands of Watson Tatner than Holmes, One would Ike to be reassured that the necessary reforms had been carried out. It is some time since anyone was kind enough to take a look at my “dossier,” but. what J have learnt of it in the past, coupled with the odd “visit to Room No. Whatevér-it-lz at the War Office, has not encouraged me to believe that our security officials have much. clue as to how the other half ive, Eyen when they happen to. connect the right curriculum. vite with the name on their books, Plausible charm Ew newspapers Biven. more space to the official revelations concern- ing Burgess and Maclean) than the Dally Telegrapit, ong bhe fact is greatly to the bredit of that journal's Integrity. For to the just-published account. of its history, by Lord Burnham, entitled “Peter- borough Court.” there is a miss- ing chapter, The Jatter might have been an- titled “Peterborough Caught," for on the eve of his discovery that be was going to have to say -nye not only to the Fordgn; Office but to England, Guy “Bur ess. working his Dlansthte charm. an the “old boy." and Gid Btoniau levels, had landéd. himself the promise of a job. as an assistant leader- writer on Britaln’s leading Tory newspaper. It may be sald that so long as a leader-writer gives satisfaction it doesn’t matter a rap what his _ opinions. may be, What we have to discover {5 how long the security services had remained in the same state of extraordinary innocence as the Editor-in-Chief of the Tele- graph or his deputy Hirer and firer. For a newspaper net to undersiand the times it.js living in is one thing, for a counter: espionage agent to be equally unpercentive is another.and far more expensive and dangerous a. fault, Sir Winston Churchill used to make some books “must reading" for his colleagues and subordinates, among them, it ts said {hose of Schwarzchhid and Koestler, Evidently hig distri- tlon list. was too restrict The generals in MIG Rave nat have SURVEYS THE WOR OLITICAL SCENE “got to grips with such sttdies as Aron’s *Opigm of the intel- Jectuals.” nor even. browsed sufficiently inte such eye-openers as the autobiography of the be- atediy wide-awake Stephan Spender. ‘Phey are totalky un- qualified for their jobs in this day and age. There aré too many Peter Pans knocking around Britain find indeed the rest of Europe whe cannot, or will net, grow up oub of adolescence when polltics were smple and alie iance to something called ariti- ascism the easy and natural thing. There are too many senti- mental Liberals, as Maclean's own brother;ayhe-simply cannot understand what leads some of their fellow men te a kind of “ death with happiness” in the Communist party. There are too many people, like Mrs, Maclean. whe believe that the only people in the world who want peace are those who. signed the Gtockholm peace appeal or its organisers, Russians nave been quick to exploit the energies of those whose mental dévelopmient. was arrested in the Spanish Pivil War. Maclean and Burgess re- quired spiritual and physical intoxication as well gs Boys’ Quon Paper exeltement + fthey got all three in the service of Russia. They believed and still bee lieve that, as Kruschev said agaln lash week Cotmmunisin is bound, under Russian direction. to overcome the rest of the world, And. looking around the world last week, who could say they are wrong? Paradox unnoticed FINHE paradox that in the America of letariat have @ contro}. of their employment and destiny as well aS B contentment and high standard of living undreamt of in Moscow or Peking pakses uimmoticed In the warld while America’s Europeati allies, hav- ing. rejected supra-nationalism and true brotherhood—evyen, it seems in the sphere of counter- espionage co-operation -- drift into suicidal selfishness and shortsightedness thet must allow them sooner or later, with. all who depend on them, to pass one by one. or even two gat a time, under Commiunist dojrina- ton. . Maclean may yet be head of the Foreign Office of 4 sprt in London, and Burgess his dfficia} understood their Koesfler nor’ ,/ spokesman, ¥ ; so-called. | * “monopoly capitalism “ the pro- ! >