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Both men, knowing they werg¢ being watched, reported the fact to Moscow, which arrqnged their escape. The Foreign Office has been prompted into digclosing some of its inférmation on these men by new claims, reported at the week-end, by Vladimir | Petrov, the Soviet diplomat who gave up his post with the Russian Embassy in Canberra and sought asylum with the Australian Government. The British official admissions have been made after four years, during which scores of put to members of bothy~- — Socialist and Conserva-] tive Governments have been answered evasively. As long ago as April, 1954, Mr. Petrov made statements about the whereabouts of Burgess and Maclean. Then th Foreign Office officially, allected to place little rejiance in them. r. Selwyn Lloyd. Minister of State, told’ the House of Com- mons that such information about the missing diplomats as Mr. Petrov had been able to give had been of a limited anc! general character. It appeared to be based on hearsay rather! than on personal knowledge. v is week-end, however. Mr.| Petrov has published a more de- “tailed Statement, which has prompted the Fo! close ign Oifice to cis- nowledge at its disposal. Tife gh Ollice spokesman, neverty Jesf. was limited im his’ replies fo! questions put to him, “ x AGENTS FOR 20 \” 20 YEARS” QUERY SPOKESMAN SILENT | Asked if lt were correct. according to Mr. Petrov, that“ both these men were long-term Soviet agents."" the spokesman replied: " We believe this to be true.” He would make no comment on Mr. Petrov's further statement that both Burgess and Maclean were **recruited for Intelligence work while they were still undergradua:es at Cambridge 20 years ago.” Fur- ther, he could not say for how long it was thought that they had been agetts for Moscow. Mr. Petrov stated in an article published in an Australian morning and an English Sunday newspaper vhat the reason for thelr Might was “simple and urgent: they discovered that they were under investigation by the British Security Services.” To this the Foreign Office spokesman replies . “git is true that Maclean was under active investigation by jhe secqrity authorities. Burgess's suit. abifty for continued foreign service employment was under investigatip:: ang he had already been withdran from Washington.” , Potirer attached to questions _ He added: “ There was insufficigat evidence to Warrant acleqn's arpest, nor were there powers to vant the men leaving the country. ESCAPE FROM BRITAIN atchers Evaded No further explanation of this last statement was forthcoming. Tt tm- Plied, however, that both’ Burgess and Maclean evaded those watehing their movements. They escaped from Britain in’ the Southampton-St. Malo boat, whence their journey led them to Rennes, in Brittany. After this, according to all infor. mation available up to the present track of them was lost. Whether or not their plans to escape were known to the British Security Services is not. revealed. The question was asted: “Had Burgess and Maclean became aware that they were under investigation and consecuently reported the tter to Moscow?" he spokes- mn replied: “We believe this to bq correct. | hen asked if either or both of thp men had carried away ments available to them in course of their employment, Spokesman would make no an Nor had he any direct evidence the two men were in Moscow. EMBASSY CONTACT M.Y.D. Official The identity of the contact in the Soviet Embassy in Londen through whom Burgess and Maclean worked during their service in the Foreign Office’ was not confirmed by the Spokesman. It seems beyond doubt. however, that it was F. V. Kislitsin, a member of the M_ (secret Embassy whose period of service in London was from 1945 to 1948. Later Mr. Kislitsin became Second Secretary at the Sovie: Embassy in Canberra. There Mr. Petrov was his, senicr in the M.WD. When in September, 1953, Mrs.| Melinda Maclean disappeared in! Switzerland, Kislitsin. ‘to get per-! nyssion to ‘communicate by goded eyole with the men who [had Phased her Journey behing} the dyn Curtain, had to tell Mr. Pbtroy tie history of his own associktion whth Burgess and Maclean. (Continued on P. 10, Col. 3) ',; ACCESS TO NFORMATIO N ATOM WORK By LEONARD BEICTLN Daily Telegeapti jeuee Correspondent 1, The Foreign Othee acknow- jedgment thai Maclean and) Burgess nad been “long-term Soviet agents,” has implications far beyond the purely diplo- matic sphere. Tt means that the Russians were fn a position 10 gain “important information about. Allied potential in the atomic field during the tical periud at the end of the! war" when relations between the! Soviet Union and the West had! ceased to ne those of allies | Soon alter joining the Britis Embas: in New York as First “Sceretuiy im 1944, Maclean became) acting head of Chancery, which méant that he had access to every :dccument not specifically marked for the ambassador only. ' He was also secretary of whathvas known as the Combined Pqlicy commitiec. This had been se¥ up under the terms of the Québec ‘agweement between President Ropsevelt, Mr, Churchill and Mr, MdKenzie King, to keep all sections ot fhe atomic project under constant reqiew. AD ERICAN REPRESENTATIVES The committee. which was com- inesed of United States and British Commonwealth representatives on a 50-50 basis, had the task of straightening out any dithieulties that might arise between the Allies. in the development of the atomic protects. “It also apportioned] Supplies of uranium. | Ab the “receiving end” of the ‘diplomatic channel in Londen dur- ing part of this period there wi Burgess, who, as assistant priva’ secretary to Mr. Hector McNeil Minister of State at. the Foreign OMce, from Dee. 1946 to Nov. 1948. was in a strong position to obtain information that he needed. Burgess, who had been with/ the B.C. for. several years before} the war, had also worked for two years af the War Office in the early Years of the war on confidential works the give of which has never been