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wig (i b-2d-95} yes Traitors’ Progress .., eit _—— A good deal of the obscurity concerning Lhe cases of Guy Francis de Moncy~Burgess and Donald Duart’ Maclean had been cleared up with the aid of Vladimir Petrov, the former Soviet espionage agent now in Australia. Two deep mysteries, how- ever, persist. One of them is how, in view of their histories, characters and scandalous habits (as described, for example, in the study by Mr. John S. Mather of the London Daily Express, an abridged version of which is published in the current issue of the U.S, News & World Report} this pair could have been permitted to remain in the British Foreign Service until] the very moment of their flight. On this point the explanations given in the recent British white paper are Jame and inadequate: and they were hardiy much improved upon by Selwyn Lloyd, the Foreign Secretary, during his interrogation tn the House of Commons yesterday. The other big mystery is why, after persistent denials by Comrades Khrushchev and Molotov and other Soviet officials of any knowledge of these fugitives, the Messrs, Burgess and Maclean should have been suddenly permitted or commanded last week to appear at a press conference in Moscow. One theory is that this sudden Communist volte face has a double propaganda purpose. First, there is the hope of embittering Anglo-American relations and thereby thwarting the effects of the recent conversations here in Washington between ihe British Prime Minister and President Eisenhower. There is still some disposition in England to accept the Burgess-Maclean statement that though they have been Communists since their Cambridge days they had never engaged in espionage or other treasonable activities—though this stalement was immediately characterized as a lie by Mr. Petrov in Canberra. The other supposed purpose of the Communists may be to exacerbate American domestic political controversy in this election year. It is perhaps not without significance that the press conference at Moscow was hurriedly summoned just after Gen. MacArthur—in his debate with former Presi- dent Truman over responsibility for reverses in the Korean war—had expressed his belief that American war policies and* his own battle plans had been relayed (presumably by Maclean) to Peiping, by way of Moscow. Another theory is ihat the sudden public reemergence of Burgess and Maclean is somehow related 1o the struggle for power within Soviet Russia ilself, which may well be resolved, or at any rale clarified, at the Ail- Soviet Congress of the Communist Parly which begins today at the Kremfin, According to this theory, Comrade Khrushchev is using Burgess and Maclean, and whatever information or documents they nianaged to bring with them in their fight to Russia, to prove to the delegates that the policy of the United States is now more warlike than ever, and that his own policy of creating immense aswaments and developing heavy industry at the cost. of living standards is therefore necessary. a Tolson, _ Nights 2 Boardman vt 2 a Belmont .@ a Mason Mohr Parsons —-——___ Rosen Tamm — Nease —---_______ K Winterrowd —__. \ Tele, Room —______ Holloman —____ Gandy Wash. Post and Times Herald Wash. News Wash, Star N. Y. Herald Tribune N, Y. Mirror N.Y. Daily News Daily Worker The Worker New Leader Date iti Ft ye oe