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Spies are not the only trouble, says this MPI BUNGLING over the Macleon is wrong of our Foreign Office, so} P.C., M.P. “F L were the For¢ign Secretary, there |is something that would: worry me far mdre an spies and security leaks. It is this: The sheer incompetence of the ° Foreiga Ser- vice. So often it has flopped by putting the w ‘ong man in the wrong place at the wrong time, ‘This is the jet age. The era of moving damn fast. It is a period'of vast political changes, with new States being ‘ormed all over Africa, Asia and the Middle East—and the rage to win their support. 1f we relied on our diplomats to see us through, we would] not even reach the starting gate in most places, I have travelied many times - sigce 1945 in Europe, Africa and thf American Continent, have scen their appalling kn- eitdctiveness again and again. Of course there are good ones. Burgess case is only a symptom of whot GEORGE BROW, his former Minister today gives firtt- | and evidence «of §=his — discoverits. SMUGNESS UI when they are they stand out lke the Edpy- stone lighthouse and almost in- yarlably they ate not tradi- tional Foreign Service entrants. I well remember my first experience of the rest at Wash- ington in 1946. He was one of the top men there, a man who afterwards became an Ambassa- dor elsewhere in an important capital. asked him how he explaifed the new Labour Britain to fhe Athericans. jis reply was that he could not, He hadn't even been home to see tt! -f can still see his smug look as he sald ; “T Rave been in Moscow. They're all interested in that so 1 have two speeches, one hard and one soft, and I give ’em whatever seems to suit.” He pol!Shed his monocle with accustomed elegance and put it back again ADVISER NTO my mind comes fthe British Financial Advisep to ope of the fabulously rich} old shetks. A terrific battle * for