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Cambridge Five Spy Ring — Part 24
Page 59
59 / 60
evn CAE econ tnaee teat
This is one corner of theese that att
frantically disordered flat,
in which Guy Burgess gave, |
a party. The late Hector’,
MeNeil, Minister of State,
was there, He left before '
#the' trouble started.
wave me an’occa-,
alonal quaim—the memory ‘of
his strange confession: before
the war that he was an agent:
of the Communist International.’
Since he had. worked, from
the beginning. of the war,
K almost to its end,-as 2°
trusted!
member of one or other British
intelligence organisation, I had
every reason to believe that. be
., Work for the Cominterp.:
Guy was there one even
ing drinking with a Foreign /
Office colleague." There was
an argument." "": . 3
The argument ended hy Guy's
colleague pushing Alm down
the staircase.
- Guy. landed at. the bottom— -
on his head. In fact, he
Severe Concussion.
The effects were alarming.
began to suffer from - severe
Desdaches, He became more.
ind more ict to aru
38 ma, ediioted fo. rues of
These, combined with alco-
hol, made him pretty’ well
insensible for .. considerab!
periods. When he was not
silent or morose, his speech
was rambling and incoherent,
‘The = Foreign ' OM Nd
} : could |:
hardly” help Teaming ‘of Guy's i
behaviour,” But it had no’ effect
on his. career. ® 2.2 hy My ee
4
Bots a
But I wondered how he had
made the break with that ruth-
Jess organisation.
asked him just that, He ref:
to reply.
‘His allence irritated me.
I tried to provoke him into
coming out with the truth.
“T have kept a complete
record of what you said about
- being a Comintern agent,” J
said. “For my own tec=
tion I have deposited
ment with my lawyer’
Bis reaction ‘startled me,
became violently agitated.
“Why ave you done it?”
he cried. “Please destroy the;
statement, Don’t you know that
. ona
rt itfit™ ever came to light
Aad ee rulned?"
as culty in calming
‘him down, I assured him tha:
; there was no statement.-
fear finally left hum. :-
due the ‘incident made m
y. =. wes now sure that
he had” been « Communist
agent.” The only question that
remained was—had he ceased
00 be one? .
Guy was at this time Personal
~ Secretary to the Minister of
State, Mr, Hector McNeil. And
he remained in that position .
until Mr. McNeil became Secre-
tary of State for ‘Scotland In
Mr. Kenneth Younger”
Placed Mr, McNeil as Minister
of State. And Mr,. Younger,
not surprisingly, didnot take
over his predecessor's”
in Guy than .
Younger evidently ‘had. They
just transferred him to the Far “+
“He
His ¢
ref)
#
* 0 they summoned from the
Par East leading British repre-
sentatives in the area, .At Pem- *
broke Colt e, Oxtord, . secret
ek-end conference
frranged wv the: fateful |
development# in-Ching.,
‘A select: group of experts was,
chosen! tobrief: the, assembled ’
VIPs on political strategy:
the Far East’ arena. ~. :
‘Some.of the experts were dip-
lomats, some were University
“and some were; men:
it or not, ‘
{Bo an ot,
} scvolved ine sudden,
7)
i
> tatives.
‘Tt. was @ brilliant perform-
ance.” For without disclosing
his own sympathies he made ®
| very: powerful case for British
diplomatic recognition : of, the
new regime.
| Not long afterwards, Britain
indeed recognise the
Chinese Reds. Guy can claim
hat he played a significant
art. in that important act of :
Office. was. well pleased wih
“him. Por a year later cathe
advancement. He was appointed
‘to our Embasoy in Washington
Jas a full-fledged representative
of His Majesty's Government. *
Before-he went he gave a
farewell ‘party “in his Bond
‘Street flat. It was an occasion |)
I shall never forget. «
“ha curious assortment of |
people, But even I was not |
prepared for the incongruous
assembly of personalities which
i gathered to say farewell to Guy.
i There was Hector McNeil, ~
; was” the German,
| life ‘to spy for Britain” belore
and during ths war-and is now
ving in East Berlin. ‘+ ,
There were two: tough -young’
Eastern department,’ where, in*4
an amazingly short space of
time, he was entrusted
very’ special assignment;
E Grand ‘review
In "China, “the, ‘Communists’ i
had just won ‘power after thelr’
ele “against. Chiang
3
With ay
Nig
= ‘There was a young man who, >
‘some time before, had tapped ay
{telephone-when Guy wanted to,
hear ths? secrets conversations %
of, foreign .palitictansy tr siseen
oLher ea Zwere“ithroe™ distin,
usd embers vot UML
4
} to
t Tather tipsy, too.
e' lps oO ot
a’ 19.’ of
couple: J
‘clash : of : opinion. “ Before 21)
T.knew that his friends were!) +
etary: of Btate~ for {j} .
fmen who looked as though they? F
i
knew what was happening, &;
violent ,argument : had.
out. ra
‘Then one of the toughs
Ufted # wine botile and hit
one of his fellow, gueata on.
Guy left for Washi:
several letters from
sans Pd
him, . From:
these and from mutual friends'12
learned that he Ww:
happy there,
From sil accoun!
m 238
a
i) duet in America’
eat
‘In disgrace? |-
ate was: living. “with? Kim
Philby, who was second’.
tary at the Embassy. & post he
had been given after.
pis:
it was at home,
distinguished career,
Intelligence Service.)
My heart, bled for ¢
‘and eyen- more for, dst’
wifes 3g,
‘ithin, y
forebodings “‘aboyt. Guy.’ were,
realised Be had misbehaved Lo
ythat be: was: in disgrace
at the Embassy.: is4 te
‘The, Ambassador. sent:,
home. “I met. him shortly after:
his return in. May, /1961—caly,
a few weeks before -he fied
Moscow with Donald Maclean: ;
+: In:spite of his ‘troubles, Guy.
was full of triumpin ‘UTR
“1 must show you be:
*
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