European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 4, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                British spies about to come in from the colds a Ilia Renud by Maureen Johnson associated press British intelligence burnished by spy fiction but tarnished by real Lite traitors is reportedly planning to lilt its Blanket of secrecy. If newspaper reports Are to believed the Security service known As mis is about logo so far Down the Road of disclosure Aslo Tell the Public who its Boss is. It might not sound like much in an age when the head of the soviet Kab appears on television and assures legislators he s no longer bugging their Homes. Bui it would be a revolution for mis whose very existence was t even officially enshrined in Law until this year. And according to the newspapers that s not All mis reportedly wants to advertise openly Tor intelligence officers be listed in the phone Book and have its director general comment on Public issues. The government s response to the reports has been reserved. We never comment on such matters said a spokesman for the Home Ollice the department in charge of mis when asked about the front Page report in the Independent newspaper. Nevertheless the Independent s disclosures have triggered Lively debate. The guardian suggested an mis Job and wanted intelligent men and women to work for the Security service commonly known As mis. Under new management mis is an equal Opportunity  Robert Cecil a Veteran Diplomat who was attached to British intelligence in world War ii wrote in the Independent that the Security services recruiting problems stemmed from politicians and journalists who Persis Henlly denigrate the secret  he also blamed Liolion writers who portray secret agents As villains dupes or traitors adding can we wonder that Young people do not Hock to enlist in such ranks. Mis s Job is to catch terrorists subversives and spies operating in Britain. There has been no suggestion that its sister Agency mis which runs overseas intelligence will also open its doors. However most spy watchers believe that Britain will eventually step into line with its major English speaking intelligence partners the United states Australia and Canada. A new Security services acl this year Laid out a charter Lor mis. Established a complaints tribunal and made wiretapping subject to ministerial approval. But it stopped Well Short of making the service accountable to parliament and made no mention Olmis. Cambridge University historian Christopher Andrew a leading expert on the secret sen ices believes things will change Only when prime minister Margaret Thatcher 63, leaves office. Andrew attributes the secrecy More to victorian taboos than Security considerations. Wha is truly in British is to admit we have spies. And the present prime minister is so imbued with victorian principles that she is no More Likely to ask about British spies in Public than she is to raise the subject of sex at dinner parties Andrew said in an interview. Meanwhile the newspapers Haven t waited. They be identified the latest head Olmis appointed a year ago As Patrick Walker a career intelligence officer who apparently Cut his Teeth tracking the Irish Republican army in Northern Ireland. And that s about it. No pictures have been published. The most detailed description published without attribution in London s observer newspaper said Walker is in his late sos about 6 feet tall grading with a big nose and a not quite upper class accent. It did t say where he went to school whether he is married plays Golf or reads James Bond thrillers. Walker himself wants a More Public stance the papers say partly so that mis can claim some credit Lor its successes and partly to dispel the Public perception that it is right Wing and Given to occasional illegalities the secret services could use better publicity. The names of the traitors of the 1960s and 1960s linger on Kim Philby Guy Burgess Donald Maclean and others have followed. More recently retired mis agent Peter Wright s memoirs spy Catcher. Portrayed an organization that bugged and burgled widely in the 1970s and tried to destabilize Harold Wilson s socialist government. Thatcher a conservative tried to have the Book banned. Wednesday october 4,1989 the stars and stripes Page 13