◆ SpookStack

dates. (She once said it was at the time of the Cuban crisis in Octobes, 1962) The truth about it is, I think, this: There was a good deal of talkie ber presence, between Stephen Ward and Captain Ivanov, about this information. And Stephen Ward may well have turned to her anid, * You ought to ask Jack (Profumo) about it”. But I do not think 2 was said as seriously as-it has since been reported. Stephen Ward said to me (and here I believed him), “Quite honestly, nobody in their right senses would have asked somebody like Christine Keeler to obtain any information of that sort from Mr. Profumo—he would have jumped out of his skin.” - If said at all by Stephen Ward, it was, I believe, not said seriously expecting her to act on it, I am quite satistied that sbe never acted on it. She toid me, and I believed her, that she never asked Mr. Profumo for the information. Mr. Profumo was also clear that she never asked him, and I am quite sure that he would not have told her if she had asked him. (Later on a great deal has been made of this episode. I think the importance of it has been greatly exaggerated.) : (iv) Sir Norman Brook's Warning 33, On the 3ist July, 1961, the Head of the Security Service suggested to Sir Norman Brook (the then Secretary of the Cabinet, now Lord Normanbrook) that it might be useful for him to have a word with Mr. Profumo about Stephen Ward and Captain Ivanov. (I will deal with the reasons for this later when I deal with the operation of the Security Service.} In accordance with ‘this request on 9th August, 1961, Sir Norman Brook suggested to Mr. Profumo that he should be careful in his dealings with Stephen Ward. He said there were indications that Stephen Ward might be interested in picking up sctaps of information and passing them on to Captain Ivanov. Mr. Profumo was grateful for the warning. He told — Sir Norman that he met Captain Ivanov at the Cliveden week-end and then, after the encounter at Cliveden, he saw Captain Ivanov at a reception at the Soviet Embassy, On that occasion Captain Ivanov seemed to make a special point of being civil to him. These were the only two occasions on which Mr. Profumo had come across Captain Ivanov. On the other hand he was better acquainted with Stephen Ward. Mr. Profumo went on to say that many people knew Stephen Ward and it might be helpful if warning were given to others too. He mentioned the name of another Cabinet Minister whom Sir Norman afterwards did warn. Sir Norman Brook referred rather delicately to another matter which had been suggested by the Head of the Secusity Service. Was it possible to do anything to persuade Ivanov to help us? But Mr. Profumo thought he ought to keep well away from it. 34. It has been suggested that Sir Norman Brook went his province at this point; and that he ought to have reported to Prine Minister, and not taken it upon himself to speak to Mr. Profum,. ' think this criticism is based on a misapprehension. Neither the ‘ nor Sir Norman Brook had any doubts of Mr. Profumo. They did mat know that he was having an affair with Christine Keeler and had no reasee to suspect it. ~ seen a note made by Sir Norman Brock at the time of all that he Was told by the Head of the Security Service. The main point rs i3