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; one - ho Mee re po titer cry oa BE bo Loc hie ta THE ROLE OF THE SECURITY SERVICE...) ;. 230. No one can understand the role of the Security Service in the Profumo affair unless he realises the cardinal principle that their operations are to be used for one purpose, and one purpose only, the Defence of the. Realm. They ate not to be used so as to pry into any man’s private conduct, or business affairs: or even into his political opinions, except in so far as they are subversive, that is, they would contemplate the overthrow of the Government by unlawful means. This principle was enunciated by Sir Findlater Stewart in his Report of 27th November, 1945, paragraph 37, which has formed the guide for the Service ever since. It was re-stated by Sir David Maxwell Fyfe in a Directive of 24th September, 1952, and re-affirmed by every Home Secretary since. Most people in this country . ® would, I am sure, whole-heartedly support this principle, for it would be intolerable to us to have anything in the nature of a Gestapo or Secret Police to snoop into all that we do, Jet alone into our morals. 231. Once this principle is appreciated, it will be realised that the only, proper role of the Security Service in the Profumo affair was to defend the country against any activities by or on behalf of Russian agents. In particular against the activities of Captain Ivanoy. For Captain Ivanov was not only a Russian Naval Attaché. He was also a Russian Intelligence Officer. He must not be allowed to get secret information which the Russians needed. Stephen Ward was a sympathiser with the Russians. He was a close friend- of Captain Ivanov and was indiscreet. He counted many prominent people among his friends. He should not be allowed to get secret information which he might pass on to Ivanov, Ward was known to be involved in a call-girl racket. He was ‘the provider of popsies for rich people’. If any of his girls came into contact—both with Captain Ivanov and also with Ministers of the Crown—that would be a situation which needed watching in case Captain Ivanov might use the girls as a channel of information. 232. There was vet this further possible role for the Security Service. Was it possible to get Ivanov to defect from the Russians and help us? For, as a Russian Intelligence Officer, he might have information of much value. 233. When the conduct of the Security Service is examined (as I will examine it in the following pages), it will, I think, be seen that they confined themselves to the role I have described. They had, at one critical point, carefully to consider whether they should inquire into the moral bebsviow of Mr. Profumo—they suspected that he had had an illicit associati@i Christine Keeler—but they decided that it was not their concers, new problem for them to have to consider the conduct of a Mind Crown, and they decided it by reference to the principles laid Gite a them, to wit, they must limit their inquiries to what is necessary to the Defence of the Realm: and steer clear of all political questions. And this is what they did. A 7 . *