◆ SpookStack

It is now revealed by a former top Soviet agent in ‘Austra Viadimir ;Petrov, that the two British agents— MacLean and Burgess—probably ae isted in the atomic espionage. escaped to Moscow when it appeared : certain they were about to be exposed. They were assisted by the Soviet Union in their escape. It has not been disclosed what ‘sort of information the, two British agents transmitted to the Soviet Union, but the volume must have been great be- cause the Soviet foreign office set w a special bureau to process it. . It is known: that the Soviets werd able to get a large volume of materia! ‘ough a similar espionage setup in the United States which was disclosed _ ‘in the case of Alger Hiss, Both Mac-". Lean and Burgess had direct connec- tions, with United States high level in- , formation. MacLean occupied the American desk in the British Forelgn Office until May, 1951. Burgess was second secretary in the British em- bassy in Washington. During his stay there he carried a 24-hour pass to thy Atomic Energy Commission. Supposedly during all this time th: | two men were under suspicion bu British officials could do nothing about it... A similar situation existed in this country in the case of the late Harry Dexter White, an official in the Treas-- ury Department who acted in many in- stan es for the Secretary of Treasury. . The Federal Bureau of Investigation sent letter after letter to the White louse as well as to other. responsibl! fficials pointing out sat White wa, Inder strong” susyicion sa: Con munist agent, But White kept on ev ting promotions. wy But we have tightened our security j fetup since then. The action was forced congressional investigations Walch s-rad scores of government em: loyes who refused to testify about their, Communist affiliations on the grounds that anything they might say would be self-incriminating (Fifth .’ Amendment), The rule was tald down that no government employe who took the Fifth Amendment was entitled to re- * main on his job, There hove been a few. Instances in which our security measures mis- jired. But the common opinion amo! ericans is that more Communi “pge~’- have escaped than have’ bee! aught, The great danger is that wi é British have been—and not too! ugh in the execution of ounsecurity \ ee & tendency to be tod lentent—as! j