Macmillan Defends Blake Case Action

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 11

Macmillan Defends Blake Case Action

(N.Z .P.A ,-R?uter — Copyright)

LONDON, May 11.

The British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan) today defended his action in asking the British press not to reveal certain information in the George Blake spy case. He said he had made inquiries into how the foreign press had obtained this information.

Earlier Mr Macmillan had announced that a fresh inquiry would be set up to review security in Britain.

The review would be mat of security procedures am practices currently in fore throughout the public ser vice, he told the House o Commons. It would be undertaken b: a body of independent per sons of standing, who wouli be able to bring to bear judgment based on wide ani varied experience, he added The review will be in ad dition to that of a committee already investigating an; failure of existing securit; procedures which may hav l come to light through th Lonsdale espionage case a the Admiralty Underwate Research Establishment a Portland

Mr Macmillan said the findings of this committee on Admiralty espionage would be made available to the new committee, which would report to the Prime Minister. Until he received the report he could not say whether it would be published in whole or in part. Answering questions in the House of Commons, Mr Macmillan said he was right in issuing a notice to the British press. The “notice” was a “D” (defence) notice, which requests editors not to publish information about specific subjects because it could be harmful to national security.

Mr Macmillan told Mr R Marsh (Labour) that what had happened subsequently had confirmed that it was “an advantage.” To Mr Gaitskell, the

deLabour leader, Mr Macmillan d said it was not the issuing :e of the “D” notice which had •- provided the foreign press >f with the information. “But an incident occurred y later which, to that extent, .. weakened the position but d did not altogether destroy a the purpose which we had in d mind,” he said. j The information could have |.' leaked out or was "planted,” e he said. v “I do not wish to take it y any further except to say that e if the House does not trust e me. to ask that it will trust it it

my personal word that what I did was right and had some advantage,” he said. “It is true that the advantage was not sustained for as long a period as I had hoped. I cannot go further than that." he said. Press Comments

Mr Macmillan’s announcement was received with mixed feelings by newspapers today His statement had indicated that those working in the Public Service where secrecy was concerned, might have to reconcile themselves to a curtailment of liberty of thought and statement if they wished to continue such work.

"The Times” commented: "The public must, in these dark matters which may so critically affect the safety of the nation, rely on authorities working beyond the pale of open scrutiny. This is not a happy state of affairs. “The most that can reasonably be expected is that, when the proposed committee has finished its labours, the Prime Minister should make known in as much or as little detail as is safe that its members are satisfied with what has been or is going to be done.” The “Guardian” described Mr Macmillan’s concession in allowing a genera) inquiry into security procedure as a sensible step, but submitted that the “D” notice system would not survive abuse. “Newspapers themselves have complained that the system for consultation and advice on security was misused—even brought into disrepute. “Members of the public, too, have begun to ask whether the British press is subservient to the Government in these matters.” said the “Guardian.” The “Daily Mail” said that the “D” notice is a useful guide to what can or cannot be made public, but complained that it becomes ridiculous when foreign newspapers are able to print reports which the British press is forbidden to give. The ’’Daily Telegraph” suggested that the public must resign itself to hearing little of the findings of the proposed committee of inquiry on Britain’s security system. "If Mr Macmillan wants Britons to accept ‘curtailment of the liberty of their

thoughts’ he should first of all convince us that the acceptable rules of security fail even when applied. “The Prime Minister’s dark hint won’t scare big-time traitors,” said the “Daily Sketch.”

The Communist “Daily Worker” believed that “the defence of freedom in Britain demands resistance to the preparations for a new witch-hunt.” Spies Rescued Several British spies behind the Iron Curtain —whose lives were put in peril by the double agent George Blake—have been brought to safety, the “Daily Express” writer Chapman Pincher said today. “I can now confirm that Blake was responsible for the disappearance of a number of British spies operating abroad.” he said. Pincher said Blake himself had been in charge of a spy ring. He had known the names of agents. “Two of them vanished mysteriously two years ago. They were replaced. “And the names of several other Secret Service men were written off. “No-one knows where they are. Whether they are in prison, or whether they were shot.

"But no-one connected the disappearance of these men with Blake. “Britain's spy masters acted quiekly. Orfe by one, in the last few days, agents in peril abroad were withdrawn,” Pincher said.