◆ SpookStack

FIRST SPY LEAK TWO YEARS DIPLOMATS FLED THE report begins: On-the evening of Friday, May 25, 1951, Mr. BEFORE Donald _Duart-M. MACLEAI was the son of a former Cabinet Minister, Sir Donald Maclean. He guccessfully competed for the Diplomatic Service in 1935 and was posted in the first instance to the Foreign Office He was an officer of excep- tional ability and was promoted to the rank of Counselior at the ly age of 35. May, 1950, while serving Hif Majesty's Embassy, Cairo} } Maflean was guilty of serious misbonduct and suffered a fort of breakdown which was attrt- buted to overwork and excessive drinking. Until the breakdown took place his work had remained entinently satisfaciory and there was no ground whatsoever for doubting his loyalty. After recuperation and leave at home he was pasced medically fit, and in October, 1950, was appointed to be head of the American Department of the Foreign Office, which, since it does not deal with the major problems of Anglo-American relations, appeared to be within his capacity. Since Maclean’s disappearance a close examination of his back- ground has revealed that during his student days at Cambridge ~~ + from 1931 to- 1934 ne had ex- pressed Communist sympathies. But there was no evidence that he had ever been a mem- ber of the Communist Party and, indeed, on leaving the university he had outwardiy renounced his earlier Com- mubist views. born in 1911 BURGESS os 27 at }he Royal Naval College, aclean, a Counsellor in the Senior Branch of the Foreign Service and at that time head of the American Department in the Foreign Office, and Mr. Guy Francis de Secretary in the Junior Branch of the Foreign Service, left the United™ Kingdom from Southampton on the boat for St. Malo. The circumstances of their departure from England, for which they had, not sought sanction, were such as t.o make it obvious that they had deliberately fled the country. y-Burgess, a Second Dartmouth, at Eton ang at Trinity College, Cambigdge, where he had @ brifiant academic record. After leaving Cambridge in 1935 he worked for a short time in London as @ journalist and joined the BBC in 1936 where he remained until January, He rejoined the BBC in January, 1941, and remained there until 1944 when he applied for and obtained a post asa tem- porary Press officer in the News Department of the Foreign Ofice. He was not recruited inte the Foreign Service through the open competitive examination, but in 1947 took the opportunity open to temporary empioyees to present himself for establish-; ment. He apneared before a Civil, Service Commission Board, and Way-recommended for the Junior Branch of the Foreign Service. His establishment took @fect from January 1, 1947. He wdrked for s time in the office of the; ®@ CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX. -