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DURING the past jew weeks, dhnen haw vee] persistent h Cre FE wre rumours that the,“ memoirs’ of the Soviet spy Kim Philby are about to be published in the West. Philby appears to hare made a number of con tacts with Western publish- ing organisations, and there is alsy evidence that the MS has been pushed by official Russian sources. Recently, the Sunday Times was offered the chance ta publish an 80,000-word manu- script by Philby, After con sidcration, twe decided that : we could not justify such a step to — ourselves. : question of financial reward was not the decisire one— ‘ Philby made if clear that he ‘ wns not inrerested in money jor himself. it was rather a matter that memoirs from this admitted KGB officer, could only de a deliberate attempt to damage Western | ee een wmicresis, mcinding. Western intelligence organisations. Howerer, we did take steps fo ascertain what sort of manuscript Philby was offer: ig. It turns out to be not simply his menoirs — but rather an Western against 1945-55, Two weeks ago. Murray Sayle was in’ Moscow on a scientific feature assignment jor the Sunday Times Colour Mogazine. Philby met Sayle several times: during these meetings, Philby made the remarkable suggestion that he might withdraw _his book af fin Craiat aatac a o) GFE WOVE OFFS F GIT) Sate Helen Kroger were exchanged Jor Gerald Brooke. The Krogers were sentenced in thfarch 1961 to twenty pears for espionage. Brooke was sentenced in July 1965 10 @ year’s bnprisonment and Jour years in a labour camp.) Suggestions bf an exchange | hare been steadfastly refused indictment — uf secret operations the Sovier Union, fot Pt ete) by the British Governme This is Murrgynspartets 4 of his meetififfs with ne I | Oe” | | (Mount Clipping in Space Below) ' ‘J am a aKGB. { | officer ’ ft MY FIRST direct contact with Philhy was a iclephone call to nmiy room at the Loningradskaya Hotel in Moscow, one of those Marveilousiy ugiy wedding-cake buildings in the Stalin Gothic atyle of the “fifties. I picked up ihe telephone and heard a sirange choking sound, as if someone at the other end was trying to gay something. Then the unknown caller hung up, The same thing happened five minutes later--a ring, the same sound,-a click and silence. The third time, I picked up the telephone and said, on the off-chance, “ Mr ML h se Necnabinat™ said a nigy OpPCaRinge- aa.G Philby, quite distinctly this time, and after a few seconds’ preliminaries. we arranged to mect in Hoom 436 at the Minsk Hotel on Gorky Boulevard (the «Broadway of Moscow "), Soleck the camo nfoh t.- 8 o'clock the same night I knocked, the door opened, and there was Philby, smiling with hand | outstretched. went if and tock off my Snow. owdered hat, 4 and — coat. he Foom was completely bare eyeent for two chairs vac cpee and a table on which “stood a briefcase, a bottle of vodka and two glasses. The table slood by a window with a breath-taking view over Aloscow, reds stars =oshining © on the rhostly white walls and spires of the Kremlin jn the distance. “This is a touch dynamic city," said Philby. “This society is going somewhere. Care for a drink?" T accepted hig offer and we sat-down. Philby was dressed in sports coal and grey fannels; be ig a courteous man, smiles a great deal, and his weil-cut grey hair and ruddy complexion suggest vitality and enjoyment of life. He speaks exactly as a senior British civil eervant would about his present em- ployers—“ my superiors” he Bays, “my colleagues,” and very early in our conversation he exniained “fF am «a= serving officer of the KGB, as you pro- j _ bably know.” He made no seeret [i of his K&B employment and H Continued on poge 2 i L {Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.) 4 ‘ "on Th. Sun day Tister meet Oe = a Baton: Author Editor: Title: Hareld husse /f Character: £ spo -K.. aoe Ala cleeeime ek! Submitting Office: Lion te, o£ 12/17 47 ) Baing Investigated where 2