◆ SpookStack

Now Vladimir Petrov, the mer third secretary of tpe: i: rn viet Embassy in Canbei 0 sought po}itical asylum nil 3, 1954, has provided co: nation of Lhis. elroy himself was net Girecly concerned in the case and “his information was obtained from conversation with one of his colleagues in Soviet service in Australia. Petroy states that both Maclean, and “Burgess wore reertited gs spies for the Sones , Government while student j the university, with the | ton that they should carry out their espionage tasks im th! Foreign Office, and taat in 1951 hy means unknown lo him, on 67 other of the two men ‘beoant aware Unab their activities were under investigation, ~\ Escape | "rilis was reported by them to the Sovict Intelligence service, who'then organised their escape ard removal to the Soviet Union, Petroy has the impression that the escape route mcluded. Caechoslovakia and that it involved an airplane flight into that country. Upon their arrival in Russia, Maclean and Burgess lived npar “Yoscow. ‘They weve used as ws 10 the Minislry pf Bee moe nnCIes et adds that one of tlle ren Affairs and other Sova yen (Maclean) has since Ween ined by his wife, A Two poinis call for cdm~ ment: First, how Maclaan hd Burgess remained in the Foreign Service Jor #0 tong, and second. why wey were able to get away. “ Bp When these two men ~ were given their appoint’ as on record | ments nothiny angut eitne fo “show thay he le for the public ue that their sub- sequent personal behaviour was unsatisfactory, and this led to action in each cast As @ ly sta’ Maclean was recalied from Cairo in 1950 and Was not recmployed until rae was declared medicatly fit. Butgess was recalled from Washington in 1951 and was abiked to. resig: L Was only shortly before Mpclean disappeared = that s@fious suspicion of his re§a- was aroused and actle tes were set on foot. 2¢ The second question, ) how Maclean and Burg made good their escape from this country when the security authorities were on their track. ‘The waich on Maclean was made difficult by the need to ensure that he did not become awate that ne Was under observation, . watch wag prima aimed at collecting, if possible. fugther pformation. and not at an escape, n impos i a calculated visk had to be taken that ne Mijht become aware of it and mitat take fight. nadvisable {0 increase by extending ine eiviance 46 his home jn an isolated part of fe country and he was therefore watched in London only. Both men were free to £0 abroad at any time. i some countries, no. dpubt, Mclean would Rave peer ; f and quesifpned In this countfy no made wilhouth ade- quate evidence. At the time the ent evidence. | | Ay was Tor these reasons neces: sagy for the security authoripies tafembark upon the difheuls 4nd ddicae investigation jot Nibeiean, taking into echount ‘the risk that he woy'd bebalerted. In the event. he was alerted and fled the country together wih Burgess. . Ory As a result of this case 20 in July 1961 the when | Secretary of State, Mr. Hernezt Morrison, set up a commithee of , inquiry to consider the security. checks applied io members af the Foreign Service. the existing | regulations and practices of the Foreign Service in regard to any | matters having @ bearing on security, and 10 report. whether anv allerations were called, for Wine committee reported 32 No ber 1951. Check Ts recommended, among other things, @ more 5 security check on Foreign 5 e officers than had until fhen been the practice. ‘his was Anmediately pat into eifres and slice 1902 searching fhquiries have been made into the antecedents and associ: 1 8 occupying OY ap lions Mm the Fort olving Highly seqeb ‘he purpose of these inquir is'to ensure that no one 18 appornted to of continues to ovcupy any such post unless he Or sie is fit to be entrusted w the secrets to which the post gives access. ‘The Foren Secretary of the day approved =the = ackton required. extensive, | Criterion a)Q A ercab eal of 7! Spas been directed tov ards the “reticence of ministerial Hes von ‘nese matters, an itilude which it was alioged vould not have been changed had it not been for the Petrov Espionage is carried out in . . “Counter - esplonage equally depends for its suecess {pon the maximum secrecy of ils methods. Wor is. is desirable at any moment to let the other side Know ow much has been dis- ed oF guess al. What means ve been used to discover i. ‘or siloulé they be ailawed to qnow all the steps that nwe een Laken io improve securipy. These considerations shill ppiy. and must he the fabio Wicrion for judging art should or Saould not be plb- lished. eo