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TWO4YEAR SEARC Express Political Correspondent DEREK MARKS SECURITY men were on the trail of Maclean _and Burgess for more than two years before the authorities were ready to pounce, there came an astonishing “lost week-end” in which the security men did nothing and the diplomats made their| getaway. . . S| | Thi is revealed in the Foreign Office White-paper—“ Report concerning the dis- appearance of two former Foreign Office officials ”—published last night. It is disclosed that in January 1949 “the security authorities received a report that cerlain Foreign Office information ha leaked to the Soviet authorities some year Highly secret investigations werc begun. By mid- _April 1951 the field of suspects had been narrowed “to two or three persons.” ; i Then “by the beginning of May Maclean had come to be regarded us the principal suspect,” . "But Burgess was still not linked with Mattean, - . At this point a decision was taken to see that top-secret documents did not reach Maclean’s desk. | The security men started to probe Maclean's activities and contacts to’ gather evidence that could | justify a prosecution. FRIDAY YO MONDAY -- ,To speed this process, on Friday, May 25, 1951, Mr. Herbert. Morrison, then Foreign Secretary, autho- | tised the security men to interrovate Maclean. But Maclean had made his own plens. He on) the Friday night, together with Guy Burges, he ed from Southampton for St. Mala, jin one amazing sentence the White-paper sur the activities.of,the securityment— = =, 4 $a they fled behind the Iron Curtain. Then, just as ~~ ! aoe to take the day off on Saturday, May 26. Late’ an en #