◆ SpookStack

O ILBY-ROLE AS AGENT QUESTIONED a ~5-MONTH GAP i By MICHAEL HILTON, ! Dally Telegraph Diplomatic ‘Correspondent (JHE = statement by the Observer that Mr. Philby was employed by them at the } suggestion of the Foreign | Office prompts the questign of | whether he was continuing to i work for British Intelligence + i | | |P from 1956 until January of this year. . Tt was in 1956 that he began work as 2 Middle East correspond- ent and it was in January that ne i admitted he had been the third man. The intelligence service makes use of many people who are ' not full-time offictals. 1 A Foreign Office spokesman said 4 yesterday: “As is well known, we 1 are not prepared to answer ! . questions about intelligence mat- i ) tees.” ‘ FIVE-MONTH GAP With regard to the five-month gap between Philby's admission and the statement to the House of Commons on Manday, the expla- nation being advanced in offical quarters goes something like this: 1—As soon as the admission was 1 made, the decision was taken in principle that Parliament would have to be told at some time. i 2--There were a number of what would have been described as “tendrils” and side issues that had to be cleared up. ‘ 3~-Why the announcement was "made at what, from the Gov- : ernment’s point of view, was a i particularly unfortunate ‘moment can only be conjectured. Presum- : ably it was because it discovered that the news was about to break and had appeared. partially jn an Americap malazt - Wy OL JUL15 1983 (Mount Clipping in Space Below) RUSSIANS AIDED PHILBY’S FLIGHT ‘“NOW IN PRAGUE” From Our Special Correspondent BEIRUT, Wednesday. Lebanese security men feel cer- tain that Harotd Philby is now in Prague. There seems little doubt that he was assisted in his flight by the Communists who arranged for him to embark on a Russian ship at that time in Lebanese waters, It .is mot easy to leave the Lebanon without attracting notice and to do so secretly involves care- ful organisation. Since the troubles of 1961 the local security forces have kept a vigilant guard, Many plotters in this republic of plotting try to make their way to neighbouring countries. In a way this is the Switzgland of the Middle East, a cenfre for spying and nefarious activiiJes because of its liberal régime afd easy going ways, Peaster eT Miss Holnes .. Miss Gandy..... Mr. Tretter |} Tele, Ream... : (inaicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.) THE DAILY TELEGRAPH London P. 26 Dote: AvthorMichael Hilton 7 Editor: Te: HAROLD PHILBY st ESP R Clasaification: Submitting Office: eae Poa