◆ SpookStack

THE SUNDAY EXPRESS LONDON MARCH If soe SE t eyed eg CRIS gk asylum, Volkov promised to reveal details of the headquar- tera of the N.K.V.D., in w Apparently he had worked for “Thema. years, He also offered ‘Gpdetails of Soviet networks and <O0V = CAS§l agents operating abroad... io be Inter alia, he claimed to know 4: ing the real names of three Soviet ‘Tarents working in Britain. Two of thet were in the Foreign ; Bice ¢ one was head isch a ’ vd counter-es Rage organtiidtion ton” Jd, m London, Having delivered si himself of his shopping Hst, he )éiipulated with e greatest i vekemence that no mention of . on the . ‘ ‘ Lo variety vot Britis Philby (upper left) as a war correspondent ...In the Yemen, 1962 * The em had respected ; . 4 Volkov's stipylation and had bold face on it. I told the Chief necessary clearances had been Foreign Office that I should use “pent the pape home securely, that I thought we were on to obtained. Page for the purpose of Te but slowly. by\bag. Thus it something of the greatest With obvious relief, the Chief establishing contact with Volkov was well over & week after importance. aw «seed. ‘Together we went to and arranging a rendezvous. oj Volkov’s approach to Page that I would Eke a little time - the Foreign Office, where I was To the latter I would be @ the material was examinee by dig into the background and, in pven a letter to present to accompanied by John Reed, a a Anyone competent to assess its the light of any further inform- nox Helm. asking him to give First Secretary of the Embassy. a importance. ation on the subject, to make me all reasonable facilities for who had earlier served in That “anyone” was myself: appropriate recommendations, the fulfilment of my mission. Moscow and passed one of the ve fa and the reader will not reproach The Chief acquiesced, instruct- My onjy other call was on Foreign Office exams In Russian. “2A Me with boasting when IT claim tng me to report first thing General Hill, the head of our These arrangements were made that I was indeed competent to mext morning and. in the mean- Coding Section. He supplied sublect to the approval of the wassess the importance of the while, to cep the papers me with my own personal one- ambassador, Sir Maurice Peter- material. strictly to myseif. time cipher pads, and lent me son, whom I knew from Spanish Two Soviet agente in the “I took the papers back to my one of his girls to refresh me in days; but the Foreign Office ny Foreign Office, one head of a office, telling my secretary that their use. warned me in pressing terms to counter-espionage . organisation I was not to be disturbed, unless This caused a little extra approach Helm, the Minister, taingin London! . I ‘stared at the the Chief himself called. Ivery delay — not altogether um- . first. a. wae’ papers rather longer than neces- much wantec to be alone. welcome, since it gave me more Helm, it appeared, had begun although} sary to compose my. thoughts, My request for a little tlme- time to adjust my thoughts to MNfe in the Consular Service, and few I rejected the idea of suggest- “to dig into the background” action in Istanbul, Three full was still touchy about matters ‘jing caution in case Volkov's had been eyewash. Iwas pretty days elapsed between thearrival of status and protocol. I did approach should prove to be a certain that we bad bever of the Istanbul papersin Broad- pot anticipate much difficulty provocation. It would be useless heard of Volkov: and he, Way and the ta e-off of MF from Helm, in which I was not im the short run, and might presumably to enhance his value Seroplané bound for Cairo em altogether right. The erux of possibly compromise me at a pr us, had framed his shopping route for Istanbul ; my problem, it seemed to me, a. ater ogc. ; - . ist in such vague terms aed . . was the Interview between ‘The Snly course was to put & they offered no leads for imme Qu _ Molkov and myself, with Reed ’ dilate investigation. . tn attendance. Still, 1 had much food for Tr it ever took place, Reed thought. From the fest. it _ MY neighbour on the airplane would get the shock of his life seemed’ to me that the time a5 taciturn. Few alrcraft if Volkov started reeling off factor: ital companions bother: me long, names .of Soviet agents in was ¥ * however talkative they may be British Government service, tere Volkov's veto on by nature. For me, flying is It would be charitable, egraphic communications the conducive to reflection, and I thought, to spare him = such case had taken 10 days to reach had plenty to occupy my mind. ‘gurprises. How to make sure ? ne tease one eae et vhat __ For some time I tossed around ':" ‘There was obviously no means x clphers were based on the one- Oat a ait a slender: whe ne time pad system, which ., is” played -it- right. - "I dapided supposed ws be {elproot hn if : rst. wi 3 and our/cipher.. om the: , Raed gr teen’ discipline was strich' Yet, 47: cen ibe Bnd " j : . Volkay £0 wished, 1, had no:, ic Phiet oe prereset: # ec cect Sas . 7 wee te ee SS "