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Express Staff Reporter 7 . T= flight behind the _ Tren Curtain of the Foreign Office diplomats Burgess and Maclean is . cited by the Press Council today as a case in which the freedom of the Press helped to safeguard the : vital interests of the - nation. - : When the two men_ fied + secretly in 1952 the Daily Express was bitterly attacked in some quarters for inter- spl a aeet e ra m~ we viewing the mien’s relatives and friends and relentlessly : pursuing {ts Investigations. Today the Daily ress is |. L into privacy and caused The Press Council, in its fifth report, says: “Th who resent polite inquiries have ¢ often “something to hide.” It might well be a danger to the | public t wrench from the Press i | which powers of investigation ave made it so good & | watchdog of the public safety. - “This. brings us to the factor ,of the public welfare.. In it ‘code of ethics, or canons of journalism. the American Society of Newspaper Haitors rules that & newspaper should not invade private rights Or, feelings without sure warrant of public right as dis ed from public curiosity. - . “Sure warrant of public right; there lies the key to this question of alleged intrusion in those cases where complaints gre most vociferous.” ; . | The Press Council comments > "when two Foreign Office off- cials disappeared In 1952 it was . suggested that the jnevitable + Bress inquiries were an intrusion deep ' distress to relatives. “But the disappearance of these two men, presumably to flee behind the Iron Curtain, was not a cause for family anxiety alone. It ralsed a Hie- and-death question, « question . of the safety of the Healm. “Some critics urged that the making of inquiries should have { been left to the Forelgn Office iT. , tt. } “1, was retorted that State departments are under strong temptation to hush up events '| thag might bring upon public i a a A to thelr duty, may act more de- cisively after being spurred ‘on by the Press. re “That was a case illustrating the point that to protect the nrivacy of all citizens when their seeds are in question and to ward off questions .. to! 1 | So ‘ then — censuTe, and Wat even ‘| the police, faithful as they are 4 ‘I y there Is no question o trying \ . ~y . { relatives may . endanger q . nation.” < , d of | this i] question——the safety of ‘ people—the Press Council repog, Bays i". coer on! ’ reporter . would be: faithless to his trust anda! grave Ganger to his er if he’ we accept w earsay or cruel tittle-tattle. His bounden guy is to seek trustworthy . first-hand informati rer ! —_—— “This means that sometimes questions must be put to persons: auffering from shock of bereave- ment. This should be, and usually is. done in the kindest possible way. ~~ ; “Few people, even in distress, resent courteous and _ considerate efforts to ect an accurate report. Ve often to extract the truth iro + unwilling sources, : “The reporter and the news | a paper he represents are rarely fot regarded as intruders when they- are inquiring about an exciting plece of news. . 42 “Tn many querters and of 1” many social levels they are part of the life of the community and are accepted as such.”, The council says that the number of intrusion complaints, compared with the number of journalists, is smal : Sir Linton. Andrews. chalr- man of the Press Council. who has for the past five years pre- sided over complaints aga nst the newspapers, sums up experience in these words !—~ “My view, after much experience, is that man the would-be reformers af the Press are in need of the curbs they propose for, others, since | they theroselves are guilty of | ; the offences they allece—wild ' exaggeration, — distortion of . the truth, and the unproved assumption that they speak RECORDED — C 15 1958 “ Even © eagerly against assuming that it must be tru on any journalists, at "DAILY EXPRESS" condemning before E fic LONDON, ENGLAND are Know? BRAG B/ 12/2/584 R o . e: GUY FRANCIS DE_MONCY BURGESS, - . _. ESPIONAGE - R. eae a Ay apenas or ato for har . Oe ie wee ERA een or ee wa 7 ¥ ia £INCRLS . Phe ee eee haat an aa a ohate 2/3