OVER-RIDES DIPLOCK

affa He has acquitted the 'third man' from any suspicion by virtue of a telephone call he had with the mysterious Cabinet Minister early on Monday morning.

On the basis of this conversation, Heath has over-ridden the proposed investigations of Lord Diplock's Security Commission and declared the Minister innocent.

Heath is acting like a desperate man. Having invited Diplock to investigate all the security aspects of the affair only last Thursday, he has now been forced to make a second statement clearing the third man.

In clearing the yet unnamea Minister before Diplock. has a chance to meet, Heath has placed a question mark over the role of the Security Commission and judicial procedure.

It was the commission's jobas outlined by Heath and agreed by parliament-to look into all security aspects of the affair and 'to verify that there has been no breach of security as a result of the incidents'.

Wilson accepted this formula; so did the Parliamentary Labour Party. If Heath intended being judge and jury in the first place, why did he appoint Diplock?

GLARING FLAWS Heath's hurried statement sued from 10 Downing Street Monday night (while he was Bavaria) exposes a number glaring flaws.

These indicate some deep divisions in the Tory government over the Lambton-Jellicoe affair and suggest that Heath • is the odd man out.

Consider the following statements which all come Heath: • On April 9 MI5 reported to Home Secretary Robert Carr that a Minister was involved with prostitutes. • On April Heath learned the Minister was Lambton. • 'In the fir 'st few days of May said to • a numl ›er of other people , be involved with prostitues were named. These included my Friend Lord Jellicoe? right honourable MAT.27. 1973 FOR THE FIRST TIME sund The Lambion girl spoaks Pepple TAGAIN EXCLUSIVE •People' said their dossier was 'now being placed before Scotland Yard officers investigating call girl rings in London'.

In other words, the very earliest that Heath could have received the 'People' file was on Sunday night at Chequers when Carr and Sir Peter Rawlinson, the Attorney-General, came to meet him.

We are told that Heath then phoned the named Minister on Monday morning and received a "categoric denial' that he was involved. Heath fully accepted the Minister's denial and closed the book on the 'third man' ... Or he thinks that's what he's done!

Why should he so readily accept the Minister's word without even a face-to-face meeting?

How could the police or the 'Security Service' have had time to give any advice on the subject if the 'People' file only reached the Yard on Sunday?

INDECENT HASTE This indecent haste to acquit the third man is in direct contrast to the seemingly painstaking investigation which preceded the resignations of Lambton and Jellicoe.

Lambton went after six weeks ot inquiries and Jellicoe after about three. But Heath, Carr, Scotland Yard and a phone conversation acquitted the third man in less than 24 hours.

Has Heath any right to accept this off-the-cuff assurance when Diplock has still to commence his investigation?

The most likely explanation of Heath's muddling over this scandal is that he has no control over what's going to happen next.

His statements are starting to assume the pattern of Nixon's as the seeping Watergate turned into a veritable torrent over his administration.

There is not a politician, a Tory newspaper, Whitehall mandarin nor a bishop -who doesn't know that there is a third Minister, and possibly a fourth.

The carve-up which Wilson joined last Thursday is rapidly becoming a cover-up.

What's driving this olitical crisis forward is that He: h himself has become a pris ner of events.

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