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we a, 648" uctober 1950 was appcinted to be head of tho American Depart- ment of the Fereign Office which, since it dces not deal with the major problems of Anglo~émerican relations, appeared to be within his capacity. 4 Since Maclean's disappearance a close examination of his backgrourd has revealed that during his student days at Cambriige from 1931 to 1934 he had expressed Comnunist sympathies, but there was no evidence that he hed ever been a member cf the Communist party and indeed cn leaving the university he had out~ wardly renounced his earlier Communist views. 5. Burgess was born in 191] and was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, at Eton ard at Trinity College “Cambridge, where he had a brilliant academic reccrd, After \ Club. leaving Cambridge in 1935 he worked fcr a short time in Lordon as a: journalist ard jcined the B,B.C, in 1936 where he remained until January 1939. 1 From 1939 until 1941 he was employed in one of the war propaganda organisations, He rejeined the B.B.C, in January 1941 ond remained there until 1944 when he arplicd for and obtained a pest as = tenperary press officer in the News Department of the Foreign Office, He was nct recruited into the Foroign Service through the cren ecn-etitive examination but in 1947 took the orrertunity open to temporary employees tc present himself for establishment. He apreared befcre a €ivil Bervice Ccmmission Board and was recommended fcr a junior Brareh of the Fareign Service. His establishment tock offact from January 1, 1947, He worked for a time in the office of the then Hinister of State, Mr, Hectcr McNeil, and in the Far Eastern De;artnent of the Foreign Office, In Aucust 1950 he was transferred tc Washington as a Second Secretary. 6. Early in 1950 the security authorities informed the Foreign Office that in late 1949 while on holiday ebread Burgess had been guilty -f indiscreet talk about secret matters of which he had cfficial knewledge, For this he was severely reprimanded, Apart from this lazse his servics in the Fereign Office up to the time of his appointment tc Washington was satisfactory and there seemed gocd reason to hope that he wuld make a uscful career. 7. . In Washington, however, his work and behaviour gave rise to complaint. The f&mbassador reported that his-work “hi een unsatisfactory in that he lacked thorcughness and @alance in routine matters, that he had come to the unfavourable nctice cf the Department of State because of his reckless‘driving and that he had had te be reprimanded for carelessness in leaving confidential papers unattended. Tho ambassador requested that Burgess bo removed from Washington and this was approved. He was recalled te Londor in early May 1951 and was askad te resign from the Foreign Service. Considcraticn was being civen to the™ steps that would be taken in the event of his refusing to do so, Tt was at this point that he disappeared, 8. Investigations intc Burgess’ past have since shown that he like Maclean, went threugh a pericd of Communist leanings whilo at Cambridge and that he too on leaving the university outwanily renounced his views, No trace can be fcund in his subsequent career of direct participation in the activities cf left-wing organisations; indeed he was known after leaving Cambridge ts have had some contact with erganisations such as the Anglo-Gerran