◆ SpookStack

Foot pees ategeD MEN . poe edible security Credible securi OUR PHILBY INVESTIGATION should yield several benefits. It has sel a distorted record: straighter.’ .!t has made good some of the grosser half-truths told to * Parliament about Philby himself, and also the downright » official lies, as-unnecessary as they were irresponsible, . * about the career of Donald. Maclean. Official outrage at ;. Such sacrilege ‘does ‘not persuade‘ ys"'that” we have © - dmperiled national security, On ‘the contrary, such a vital concept surel requires a maturer public awareness - , of its difficulties than has hitherto existed. To remind . the public of the K G B's labyrinthine efforts can hardly a de described as comforting the enemy. * _ A secret service's work must be secret. The question’ ‘ is to what realms of public deception that maxim should : extend, Certainly, it should no longer ‘embrace the diplomatic fiction that the secret service does not exist... 1 “ AS a provider of political and military intelligence, some-* ‘ times of great value, SIS's function should be candidly acknowledged, But that is not enough,- The well-tried administrative precept that efficiency improves with accountability is not irrelevant even to the secret service, A ‘This would probably be best achieved by reviving 2; *: proposal much discussed by officials after the Profuimi ‘and Vassall-fiascos of 1963. Mr Geoffrey McDermott; who gave advice to the Sunday Times Philby inquiry, | . makcs his own suggestion inthe next column. We 3, Would still favour the 1963 suggestion for a Minister - answerable for both SIS and MI5, not only in Parlia- . “ment but, perhaps more important, to the Press. He: : would, naturally, be limited in what he could say—but -' not in what he could know. . As a spokesman, he would (indicate page, name of é tat avoid many of the transparent confusions perpetrated haa ny / “yet * by half-briefed Ministers. in the past, which Tave failed . Lit, [Bate tofr 4 6 7 “dn their object of maintaining public confidence. As a . 2) T edsttems ar visible, political chief, he would, in the ‘case of SIS,. Author: replace the uncertain hand of several Foreign Secre- Editor: “. taries.. He would incidentally eliminate the tricky # i) - problems treated by public identification—fully defen: |. Tine: Hare | ible under present circumslances—of the operational . * head of SIS. This degree of overt accountability woul nat Infringe on secrecy. It would merely make it more credible and coherent. by Submitting Office: ¢ p14 WA ” : jeing Investigated cresuicoudifi fe: bs- bf 04s