London Spy Probe Launched

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headed by Lord Radcliffe with who spread such slanders, vast judicial powers to find either from motives of spite is not right in any democ-out if negligence, poor judgor gain, can expect "the reracy." ment or even the sinister bond tribution they deserve."

In the House, Macmillan of sexual abnormality played Galbraith, a man with a gave the inquiry board vast a part in the betrayal of ad-great personal stake in the judicial powers to sift every miralty secrets to the Rus-outcome of the probe, showed aspect of the recent convic-sians to the detriment of both no facial emotion while Maction of Admiralty Clerk WilBritain and her allies. millan spoke.

liam John Vassall, 37, an adThe prime minister declared mitted homosexual who conit was essential to get to the GALBRAITH'S NAME fessed spying for the Rus-bottom of the "vile and came into the spy case by wicked" stories which swept disclosure of letters and mesconviction of Vassall, a clergy-sall while they were both in the nation following the recent sages he had written to Vasman's son. the admiralty.

sians for money.

Galbraith sat quietly among other Conservative members of Parliament while the prime minister spoke. Galbraith made no comment.

Macmillan did not pass Macmillan said a story judgment on these stories. reach him last Friday indicating Vassall's arrest on HE STRESSED that if the Sept. 12 came just in time. rumors are true, they guilty men "would never dare to lift their heads among their comrades again."

THE CIVIL LORD of the admiralty is chief of the administrative services of the Royal Navy. It is roughly equivalent to U.S. underBut if the stories are false, secretary for the Navy. Orr-Ewing, who has been Macmillan said, putting an in government service since edge to his voice, the people

World War II, succeeded Galbraith in 1959.

Orr-Ewing told the civic group that British girls who travel by ship toward Russia to work in Britain's embassy in Moscow are warned "to be the alert for for trained gigolos who first seduce them and then blackmail them into giving information."

on

ALTHOUGH VASSALL lived well above his income, he said, the admiralty did not suspect him because "he had recently lost one of his parents. It was. therefore assumed quite naturally that he had inherited a small sum of money."

Galbraith, 45, formerly was Vassall's chief at the admiralty and later served as under secretary of state for Scotland-the ministerial post he was booted out of seven days. ago.

Macmillan said he also wanted to clear up other rumors that another government minister-the first lord of the admiralty-had known for a year and a half that there was a spy in the admiralty before Vassall was caught Sept. 13. THE PRIME MINISTER named a three-man tribunal

According to this story, Vassall had intended to join Galbraith in Italy and "to do a Pontecorvo-a reference to the postwar defection to the Soviet Union of British atom scientist Bduno pontecorvo.

"THAT WAS A CLEAR implication that Mr. Galbraith intended to defect to Russia br assist Vassall to do so," Macmillan said.

was

"It was also said that Mr. Galbraith believed to have spent holidays abroad with Vassall before. This story which, if it were true, amounts to something akin to treason, was told to a member of Parliament by a leading member of the press."

During Vassall's trial, the prosecution charged he sold secrets to the Russians for more than six years and was paid enough to maintain a luxury apartment and live far beyond his salary.

What helped raise the storm over the case was the length of time Vassall was able to operate.