◆ SpookStack

Club, . \ Nessa! \ee oe 64 Creegy evry Uctober 1950 was appcinted to be head of tho American Depart- ment of the Fcreign Office which, since it dces not deal with the majer preblems of Anglo-American relations, appeared to bea within his capacity, 4e Since Maclean's disappearance a elcse examination of his backercund has revealed that during his student days at Canbriige from 1931 te 1934 he had expressed Communist sympathies, but there was no evidence that he hed ever been a member cf the Communist party and indeed cn leaving the university he had out- wardly renounced his earlier Communist views. Be Burgess was born in 191] amd was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, at Eton ard at Trinity College, er ‘Cambridge, where he had a brilliant academic reccrd, af leaving Cambridge in 1935 he worked fcr a short time in Lorfion as a: journalist and joined the B,.B.C. in 1936 where he remained until January 1939. 1 Frem 1939 until 1941 he was employed in cne of the war propaganda crganisations, He rejcined the B.B.C, in January 1944 amd remained there until 1944 when he arplicd for ami obtained a pest as = tenrerary rress officer in the News Department of the Foreien Office, He was nct recruited into the Foreign Service through the epen croretitive examination but in 194? took the orpertunity open to temporary employees te present himself for establishment. He apreared befcre a €ivil fervico Commission Board and was recommended fcr a junior Brareh of tho Ferelgn Service. His establishnent tock offact from January 1, 1947, He worked for a time in the office of the then Minister cf State, Mr, Hectcr McNeil, and in the Far Eastern Derartnent cf the Forei¢n Office, In Aucust 1950 he was transferred to Yaoshington as a Second Secretary. 6. Early 1n 1950 the security authorities informed the Foreign Office that in late 1949 while on holiday ebread Furgess had been cuilty of indiscreet talk about secret matters cf which he had cfficial knewledge, For this he was severely rerrimanded, Apart from this lapse his servic: in the Fereign Office un te the time of his appointnent tc Washington was satisfactory amd there seamed gocd reason tc hope that he wuld make a useful career. ; 7. . In Washington, however, his werk and behaviour gave rise ‘to complaint, The Ambassadcr reported that his-work hid been unsatisfactory in that he lacked thorcughness and @alance in routine matters, thet he had come to the unfavourable nctice cf the Department cf State because of his reckless‘driving and that he had had te be reprimanded for carelessness in leaving confidential parers unattended, The ambassader requested that Burgess ba removed from Washington amd this was aprroved, He. was recalled te London in early May 1951 am was askoad te resien from the Foreign Service, Consideraticn was being civen to the’ etasne thnt wentlAa he teabton in the arent vaf hi eine mn ANA En uu yo 7 Ce ee eae ee vo MUNG £216 li VO Ld fk det 211 we Tt was at this peint that he disappeared, “ > eat ae 8. Investigations intc Burgess’ past have since shown that he like Maclean, went threugh @ pericd cf Communist leanings while at Cambridre and that he too on leaving the university outwardly renounced his views. No trace can be fourm in his subsequent eareor of direct participation in the activities cf left-wing organisations; indeed he was known after leaving Cambridge ts have had some contact with organisations such as the Anglo-Gerran 4% ao. [fe ce