PHILBY, INTERVIEW SAYS HE WOULD SPY FOR RUSSIANS AGAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600330026-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2000
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: November 15, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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Approved For Release "1/GQTq7 ; CIA-AT9 00149R000600330026-5
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S>ccisl to tic Nciv York : {noes.
4 : LONDON, wines ay, Nov.
5--:1arold Piii,by. said in an
interview publi4ited here today
oviet authorities, "whose mo-
ives for discrediting the Brit.
h and Western intelligence
aid that it was publishing thel
( n insight "into the mentality
f a traitor."
essible to Western correspond-I
nts in Moscow since he ar-
unday night at the concert of,
that he had no`rcgrets over his'
core:er o''.._~:eying for the
Soviet Union :.,;,;:;would do it
a%i over "if I. were young again
in Britain today."
Pniiby, a rankle- .British in-
~telligence agent who defected
to the Soviet Union in 1963,
said tllat he led his life as a
double agent because he want-
l ed to "fight for Communism"
and was "prepared to subjugate
.everything in pursuit of that,
purpose."
"I would do it again tomor~
row," ho said.
'Mentality of a Traitor'
He was interviewed by Roy.
t Blackma'n; Daily Express re-~
- ,
rant there. 'Officials of the,:
luded piciures of Philby and
nd glasses of white Georgian
appened at any fixed point of
Calls Job Easy,
He said that it had not been
ifficult to reach a high posi-
ion in British intelligdfice, "I
st arranged things so;.that I
as invited," he added.
Philby, regarded as the most
nportant Soviet agent to pene-
rate the Western Intelligence
ommunity, at one point head-
d.the British anti-Soviet Intel-
,once operation. In the late
ineteen-forties he was sent to
ashington to work with the
entral Intelligence Agency,
hich was then getting organ-
ed. .
He left the British intelli-
ence service in 1955 and con-
inued his spying as a journalist
ntil his defection,
Philby said in the interview
at, since his arrival in Mos-
ow, "I have been treated with
igh honor and great considera-
ion" and that "I cannot really
eard my life as being one of
ardship."
On British Intelligence, Phil-
y said that the British Gov-
rnment had great difficulties
n finding the right men to run
heir intelligence services. Mill-
ary me "have never really
hone" in this field, he said.
Discusses Motives
"I am surprised that :,.the'
Americans were not better led,"
he added.
In discussing his motivation
For turning Communist, Philby
recounted his feelings in the
'thirties. .
"The background ' of my
thinking was the economic
crisis ' and massive unemploy
meet thro' 'bout the capitalist
world and_. the apparent help-
{newspaper her,,, said that theyj,
had not paid for the interview t
and that it had resulted froml
,and
Philby.
which.l
The Sunday Times
,
'published a series of articlesr
on the career of Philby in re-
cent weeks,' indicated in one of
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
CPYRGHT.
ssness of existing forces to
aI with it. What a dismal pic-
re it was." .
Asked by Mr. Blackman what
missed of English life, Philby
id tha': he missed beer and
sters, ai. occasional afternoon
the soccer matches and some
.
lends.
But he added that there were
.
me things be did not mild
ing without, listing 'the ' ex-
,
nse-account lunch, . British
ilways, the Beaverbrpok press,
' .:
I the- humbug
about pure.-
;
.
,
k holiday, The . English
'
hanneithe rising cost hf liv-
;
g, the' Order of the, F}rltish
.
mire." `