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race lh — - a {Mount Clipping in Spoce Below) dale ee ee “ee semen ‘ ‘ Credible security” * _ OUR PHILBY INVESTIGATION should yield several * benefits. ‘Ib has set a distorted record Straighter, Jit has made good some of the grosser half-truths told to Parliament about Philby himself, and also the downright official Nes, as unnecessary as they were irresponsible, bout the career of Donald, Maclean. Official outrage at . such sacrilege ‘does not persuade us” that’ we have: °° iinperilled nattonal security. ' On the contrary, such a vital concept surely requires a maturer public awareness of its difliculties than has hitherto existed. ‘To remind the public of the K G B's labyrinthine efforts can hardly. be 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.‘ As a provider of political and military intelligence, some-” limes 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 10 the secret service. “~ _, This would probably be best achieved by reviving ‘oD proposal much discussed by ofiicials after the Profum and Vassall-fiascos of 1963. Mr Geottrey McDermott, who gave advice to the Sunday Times Philby inquir makes his own Suggestion in the next column, We.» 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 ', bot in what he could know... As a spokesman, he would | * avoid many of the transparent confusions perpetrated” ‘by half-briefed Ministers in the past, which have failed | in their object of maintaining public confidence. “As a visible, political chief, he would, in the case uf SIS,- - replace the uncertain hand of several Foreign ‘Secre- :“taries. He would incidentally eliminate the tricky . problems created by public identification—fully defen- . - | sible under present circumstances—of the operational : {Inaicatw page, nome of hewapaper, city and state.) i ‘ Edtien:s 8 4 Authort ' Editor: + Rus cell Philby ‘Character: “Ey or cleseineauds hte! 65-4043 Submitting Officer /.,-_. ., a head of SIS. This degree of overt accountability would} not infringe on secrecy. It would merely make it more! “| credible and coherent. hey oo! (2) Being Investiaat ETED COPY SENT ~ DEL - BY LETTE