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TWO+YEAR SEARCH Express Political Correspondent DEREK MARKS SECURITY men were on the trail of Maclean and they fled Burgess for more than two years before behind the Iron Curtain. Then, just as the authorities were ready to pounce, there came an astonishing “lost week-end” in which the security men did nothing and the diplomats made their| getaway. : This is revealed in the Foreign Office White-paper—“Report concerning the dis- appearance of two former Foreign Office officials ””—published last night. It is disclosed that in January 1949 “the security authorities received a repot that cerlain Foreign Office information ha leaked to the Soviet authorities some year! earlier.” Highly secret investigations werc begun. By mid- April 1951 the field of suspects had been narrowed “ to two or three persons,” mi Then “by the beginning of May Maclean had come to be regarded us the principal suspect.” » ~ But Burgess was still not linked with Mactean. At this point a decision was taken to see that top-secret documents did not reach Maclean’s desk. The security men started to probe Maclean's activities and contacts to’ gather evidence that could justify a prosecution. FRIDAY TO MONDAY :To speed this process, on Friday, May 25, 1951, Mr, Herbert Morrison, then Foreign Secretary, autho- | tised the security men to interroyate Maclean. But Maclean had made kis own plans, He arganged to take the day off on Saturday, May 26. Late on} the Friday. night, together with Guy Burges¢, he sailed from Southampton for St. Malo. In one amazing sentence the White-paper su’ the activities of. the security mens— - up