8. Philby and the British Ambassador sent Burgess back to London
Philby’s connections with American intelligence officers in Washington allowed him access to some, though not all, of the growing evidence pointing to Maclean. At the same time, Burgess’s continuous indiscretions became a thorn in the side of the British delegation. In early 1951, Burgess managed to collect three speeding tickets on the same day. British Ambassador Sir Oliver Franks intervened, ordering the embarrassing diplomat to return to London, relieved of his duties. Philby recognized the opportunity to warn Maclean through Burgess of the growing case being made by the Americans. In Philby’s view, Maclean likely would expose the entire Cambridge spy ring under interrogation by British and American operatives.
Burgess returned to London in May, 1951. Through Anthony Blunt he contacted Maclean and together the Englishmen made plans for Maclean to escape to the Soviet Union. Their joint contact in Moscow, a KGB operative named Yuri Modin, made arrangements for Maclean to receive sanctuary. At that point, Burgess only intended to aid Maclean in his escape from the Americans and British. At some point during the planning stages, he decided to accompany Maclean to the Soviet Union. Following Burgess’s official dismissal from the Foreign Office for his behavior he found himself in disrepute and unemployable. At the same time the Foreign Office, under prodding from the Americans, scheduled a date to confront Maclean with the evidence of his espionage activity. Philby became aware of the forthcoming confrontation in late May.