PHILBY, IN INTERVIEW, SAYS HE WOULD SPY FOR RUSSIANS AGAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300220061-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2007
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: November 15, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

it U ^ ~~,,.,, ~Appev d1F?rRelease 2007/01/17: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300220061-4
IPhiIb In Interview, il
ays He Would Spy
For Russians Again
By ALVIN SHUSTER
Special to The New York Times
LONDON, Wednesday, Nov.
5-Harold Philby said in an
nterview published here today
hat he had no regrets over his
10-year career of spying for the
soviet Union and would do it
all over "if I were young again
in Britain today."
Philby, a ranking British in-
telligence agent who defected
;o the Soviet Union in 1963,
said that he led his life as a
9ouble agent because he want-1
sd to "fight for Communism"
and was "prepared to subjugate
everything in pursuit of that
purpose."
"I would do it again tomor-
row," he said.
'Mentality of a Traitor'
He was interviewed by Roy
Blackman,' Daily Express re-
porter in Moscow, in a restau-
rant there. Officials of the
newspaper here said that they
had not paid for the interview
and that it had resulted from
"hounding" Philby.
The Sunday Times, which
published a series of articles
Soviet authorities, "wi" o
tives for discrediting the Brit-
ish and Western intelligence
services are obvious." But it
said that it was publishing the
interview because it provided
an insight "into the mentality
of a traitor."
Philby had remained inac-
cessible to Western correspond-
ents in Moscow since he ar-
rived from Beirut, Lebanon,
four years ago. He was 'seen
i Sunday night at the concert ofj
the Moscow State Philharmon
ic, but said only that lie had
nothing to say.
The Daily Express, which in-
cluded pictures of Philby and
Mr. Blackman in the restaurant,
said that the interview took
place between "drams of vodks,
and glasses of white Georgian:
wine.'
"I cannot say my conversion
happened at any fixed point of
time," Philby is quoted as say-
ing, "but I do know that after
two years of painful thought I
had made up my mind in June,
1933."
Calls Job Easy
H said that it had not been'
difficult to reach a high posi-
tion in British intelligence, "I
just arranged things so that I
was invited," he added.
Philby, regarded as the most
important Soviet agent to pene-
trate the Western. intelligence
community, at one point head-
ed the British anti-Soviet intel.
ligence operation. In the late
nineteen-forties he was sent to
Washington to work with the
Central Intelligence Agency,
on the career of Philby in re_{~ which was then getting organ-
its pieces that Philby had asked
for money for his personal
story.
In an editorial note, The Ex-
press said that the interview
could not have been obtained
without the approval of the
Continued on Page 2, Column 4
igence service in 1955 and con-
; tinued his spying as a journalist
until his defection.
Philby said in the interview
that, since his arrival in Mos-
cow, "I have been treated with
high honor and great considera
tion" and that "I cannot really
regard my life as being one of
hardship."
O
Briii
l
t
i
l
ff.
s
i.
u
e
ugence, Phil-
by said that the British ? Go:v.
ernment; had great difficulti es
in finding the right men to riun
their intelligence services. Ki1i-
tary me "have never really
shone" in this field, he said.
Discusses Motives
"I am surprised that
Americans were not better I4
he added.
In discussing his motival
for turning Communist, Ph'
recounted his feelings in
'thirties.
"The background of
thinking was the econo
crisis and massive unempl
ment throughout the capita
world and the apparent ht
lessness of existing forces to
deal with it. What a dismal pic-
ture It was."
Asked by Mr. Blackman what
h missed of English life, Philby
said that he missed beer and
oysters, an occasional afternoon
at the soccer matches and some
friends.
But he added that there were
some things he did not mind
being without, listing "the ex-
pense-account lunch, British
railways, the Beaverbrook press,
all the humbug about police
.
bank holiday, The Engli:
Channel, the rising cost of 1i
ing, the Order of the Briti
Empire."
Approved For Release 2007/01/17: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300220061-4