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See CC 2) oe eine ee Se —_— 149$ Former Foreign Office 7 NOVEMBER 1955 (Mr. Macmittan.) 6 0-0 vive tek 4 pesponsible” for’ propagand was pur at the head of the American countries. The appointment to the News - Department. . . Department was temporary and did not This Department in the Foreign Office involve establishment. In 1945, be took Geals principally with Latin-American ®4vantage of the opportunity open to affairs. Major questions relating to the t™porary officers to apply for establish United States are dealt with regionally— ment in the junior branch of the Foreign . for instance, N.A.T.O. affairs would Service. He appeared before » Civil come under the Western Organisations Service Commission Board which duly Department, Middle East affsirs would recommended him for establishment. - come under the Middle Eastern Depart: nt ment. The United States questions whicl vas fi are dealt with by the American Depart. say that seasons eee een ees ment are largely routine, welfare of forces, the pood reports which it received cover- and the like, The appointment ing Fis employment in the BBC. and ig 0 promotion for Maclean and ye Foreign Office News Department. provided an Sand to watch bis However, I must also say that we now conduct and his health, wo 7° know that Burgess’s work while with the At this time, may I semind the House, wartime Department, to which I have Te- no suspicion rested on him. As soon as ferred, had vasatisfactory. Ht is, uae Jo fairness to the Board, ‘T ought fo: he fell under suspicion, in the middle of fortunately, the case that during the war ~ April, 1951, one of those informed was —and perhaps one can hardly wonder at Sir Roger Makins, now our distinguished jt—many wartime Departments did not and highly successful Ambassador in keep good records about their temporary Washington. Sir Roger was then his staff, . * r . . rr immediate chief, being the Supzrintendi Under-Secretary of the group into whicl The fact this Department fell. Iris, however, quite Foreign Of ser D untrue, as has been suggested, that Sir mission knew of Burgess’s failings. This Roger Makins was in any way responsible process by which he was established was for the conduct of an inquiry, or that he not completed until October, 1947. In checked or cleared Maclean. It is not the meantime. the late Mr. Hector the case at all and such a suggestion is McNeil, who was then Minister of State, false and grossly unfair to Sir Roger asked that Burgess be appointed to his emains that Makins. That is the career of Maclean private office as a personal assistant be- up to date. Burgess's career——:' cause of his experience in drafting and . i Fact 7 I publicity work, and this was done Mr. E, Shinwell (Easington): How did FCON2) PY ° Maclean come under suspicion? - in December, 1946. 020+. fe - Mr. Macmitlan: ¥ am coming to that =p BMTBess Proved, usetal to at, Meet Jatet. 11 is in great detail, That is Mac the senior branch of the Foreign Service, Jean's career up to daic, how he got in, but as there was a good deal of doubt how promoted, and what was his career shout nis suitability for the senior branch, up to the date of the suspicion, =. and as he bad little experience of the Burgess's career in the Foreign Service ordinary duties of the Foreign Office i was, of course, totally different from that was decided that he should be given 2 of Maclean's, He was taken on as tem- thorough trial on routine work in ths porary Press Officer in the News Depart Far Eastera Department." ~~ ment of the Foreign Office, which was ,_ . je at a then housed ia athe Ministry of Informna- ola nedbemeiaia 3 ‘in that Depart. tion, in 1944. His previous career, to =. ; 1940 extent that it was then known, gave what a period of leave abroad, late in 1949, seemed to be a respectable background. J he had been guilty of a serious indiscre- - ; ix tion about intelligence matters. The He Bad served wit the BBC. for six charges were fully ‘nvestipated by a dis- yeark. Lodkites "+ f° ciptinary board, and he was severely From early 1939 until the end of 1940, reprimanded, informed that he would be Burgess worked in the special Depart- transferred and that his prospects of pro ment which, on the outbreak of wart, was. motion would be diminish nor the Civil Service Com- Ca eee Cae ee et a