Mr. RANKIN. A listing of your supplies and literature?
Mr. JOHNSON. It is a listing of literature, which is a rather old
catalog, to tell the truth about it, of the International Publishers,
which usually is included in--which includes many other pieces of
literature that if the person was interested they could purchase.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you explain the other notation?
Mr. JOHNSON. The other notation is "lit sent," which means that the
literature was sent.
Mr. RANKIN. That notation was made by you too?
Mr. JOHNSON. That is my writing too.
Mr. RANKIN. And the double line?
Mr. JOHNSON. This double line refers to this particular point of
literature, and I made that double line. That is all.
Mr. RANKIN. Does this Exhibit 1, as you received it, consist of two
handwritten pages apparently written by Lee Harvey Oswald on or before
the date they bear, together with a single printed sheet about "Hands
off Cuba"?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes. In the letter he refers to the leaflet "like the one
enclosed," and that accompanied the letter. It is also true on the
leaflet he refers to the term "free literature."
Mr. RANKIN. Do you have any recollection of just what literature you
sent?
Mr. JOHNSON. At the time when I turned this over I included copies of
what I would assume would have been the literature at the time.
Mr. RANKIN. That is when you turned it over to the FBI?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; I turned over copies of the literature at the same
time. That would be the normal thing for that particular period. I
think I could think through carefully----
Mr. RANKIN. Would that be four or five pieces?
Mr. JOHNSON. Possibly more than that; about seven or eight.
Mr. RANKIN. Could you briefly describe about what they were for the
record?
Mr. JOHNSON. Well, they would be those pieces of literature which
somehow state what was being distributed around that time from our
offices, and I know it included a pamphlet "End The Cold War" by Gus
Hall; it included a pamphlet on the McCarran Act. I think it would have
included at that time another pamphlet on "Peaceful Co-existence." Then
the pamphlet that we usually sent by Elizabeth Flynn, something of the
history of the Communist Party, "Horizons of the Future." I am guessing
now, to tell the truth about it, from here on.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall the reference in this Exhibit 1 to honorary
membership cards in the Fair Play For Cuba?
Mr. JOHNSON. I know the reference is there; yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall whether or not the cards were enclosed or not?
Mr. JOHNSON. I really don't remember that.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you ever have any oral communications with Lee Harvey
Oswald?
Mr. JOHNSON. None whatsoever.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you ever have any oral communications with anybody on
his behalf?
Mr. JOHNSON. None whatsoever.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall doing anything about the honorary membership
cards, giving them to Mr. Hall and Mr. Davis, or anything like that?
Mr. JOHNSON. No. That is where I don't really recall about them. If I
would have done that, then I am sure that I would have remembered it.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall doing anything else about the letter, Exhibit
1, and the printed sheet attached to it beyond what you have described?
Mr. JOHNSON. I replied to it.
(Document marked Johnson Exhibit No. 2.)
Mr. RANKIN. I hand you Exhibit No. 2 on your examination and ask you
if you will identify that by stating whether or not you have seen that
copy and the original of that copy at some time.
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes. This is my reply to the letter we have just been
discussing.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you prepare that reply?
Mr. JOHNSON. I did.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you send it on or about the date it bears to Mr. Oswald?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; I did.
Mr. RANKIN. Would you kindly initial it.
(Witness complies.)
Mr. RANKIN. Thank you. What did you mean in Exhibit 2 by the statement
that "We do not have any organizational ties with the committee"?
Mr. JOHNSON. That is in reference to the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.
Mr. RANKIN. Yes.
Mr. JOHNSON. And there are no organizational ties between the Communist
Party and the Fair Play for Cuba Committee; and since he was writing
on that subject, I wanted to make it clear that there is no such
relationship existing, so that literature that was being sent was not
being sent from the viewpoint of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee as
such, or anything like that.
Mr. RANKIN. By "organizational ties" did you mean to distinguish
between that kind of a tie and some other kind of a tie; is that what
you were trying to do?
Mr. JOHNSON. In the sense--well, in this sense, that while not being
responsible for what that committee may do, if there were activities
being done by a committee which would have our sympathy, well, there
would be that kind of relationship; but that is not any--not where we
would assume responsibility for it, nor could we indicate what its
policy would be, or anything like that.
Mr. RANKIN. You are trying to distinguish between some official
relationship and mere sympathy?
Mr. JOHNSON. That is correct.
Mr. RANKIN. Is that it? You did recognize a sympathy or desire to
encourage the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, I take it, then?
Mr. JOHNSON. That and other similar committees, whatever they may be,
but not exclusively that.
(Document marked Johnson Exhibit No. 3.)
Mr. RANKIN. I hand you Exhibit No. 3 and ask you if you recall having
received that from Lee Harvey Oswald?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; I do.
Mr. RANKIN. Is that one of the letters that you delivered to the FBI at
the time you described?
Mr. JOHNSON. That is.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you receive it on or about the date it bears?
Mr. JOHNSON. I think so. I mean within those days; not on the day but
afterward.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall receiving the honorary membership card of
esteem that he says he is sending to you?
Mr. JOHNSON. Somehow I do not; at least I never kept it, and it wasn't
attached to the letter at all when I found it in the files, or anything
like that. I do not recall that.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you kindly initial Exhibit 3 too, please.
(Witness complies.)
Mr. RANKIN. There is a reference in the second paragraph of Exhibit No.
3 to a clipping. Do you recall that at all?
Mr. JOHNSON. I recall a clipping that had something to do with either a
distribution of literature or a--and I think that was it. I am not too
sure whether it also had something about an arrest or some altercation
that he had been in. I did not keep it. I did not regard it as of any
particular significance.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall destroying it or do you know what happened to
the clipping?
Mr. JOHNSON. Well, things like that I would just very likely throw in
the wastebasket; that's all.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall whether or not you responded to the Exhibit
No. 3?
Mr. JOHNSON. I responded to that together with other letters.
Mr. RANKIN. At some later date?
Mr. JOHNSON. At a later date.
Mr. RANKIN. There is a request in Exhibit 3 for additional information
or literature. Do you recall whether you sent any additional----
Mr. JOHNSON. I don't recall exactly, but I would rather imagine not,
and for a very simple reason: If I would have, I would have made a
notation on here, "Literature sent."
Mr. RANKIN. I see. I hand you what has been marked Johnson Exhibit No.
4 and ask you if you recall receiving that.
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; I do.
Mr. RANKIN. About when compared with the date it bears? Do you remember?
Mr. JOHNSON. Within just a few days after that.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you please initial that below my initials.
(Witness complies.)
Mr. RANKIN. Is Exhibit 4 in the same condition as it was when you
received it, except the notations on it that----
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; it is.
Mr. RANKIN. Is it one of the papers that you supplied the FBI at the
time that you referred to?
Mr. JOHNSON. That is correct.
Mr. RANKIN. And does it consist of three pages, handwritten?
Mr. JOHNSON. Right. Three full pages; yes.
Mr. RANKIN. It is dated August 28, 1963; is that correct?
Mr. JOHNSON. That's right.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, will you tell us about the notations that you put on
Exhibit 4? Describe first each one as you tell about it.
Mr. JOHNSON. The notations that I put on?
Mr. RANKIN. Yes.
Mr. JOHNSON. This one, "Fair Play is a broader comm." I put that simply
as a point to be emphasized in my reply. The two lines on page 2----
Mr. RANKIN. The top of the page?
Mr. JOHNSON. At the top of the page--as a point to consider in making
my reply. Those are the only notations that I've got on it.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, there is another notation in ink, "Arnold, please
reply," with the capital letter E, apparently.
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Do you know who put that on?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you tell us?
Mr. JOHNSON. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.
Mr. RANKIN. Who is she?
Mr. ABT. Mr. Rankin, I have advised Mr. Johnson respectfully to decline
to give any further information on this subject.
Mr. RANKIN. Will you tell us what you meant by that notation, that is,
"broader comm."?
Mr. JOHNSON. That the Fair Play for Cuba Committee is a committee which
is inclusive of people of varied political viewpoints and backgrounds,
and it is not what we term a--a more limited committee, which would
have people more closely associated with us, but rather includes
people who vigorously disagree with us, and in this sense is a broader
committee.
Mr. RANKIN. That is, it might consist of people who were sympathetic
with the Communist movement and also those who were in support of the
Cuban movement but not necessarily with the Communist movement? Is that
what you are saying?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; and who may even be vigorously opposed to the
Communist movement.
Mr. RANKIN. There is a reference to Lee Oswald trying to dissolve his
United States citizenship. Had you known of that before you received
this letter?
Mr. JOHNSON. No; I did not.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you discuss this Exhibit 4 with anyone else at the time
you prepared your answer?
Mr. JOHNSON. When Elizabeth gave it to me, just that she indicated that
I should answer it. There was really no discussion of what the answer
would be.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you give him an answer as to whether he should remain
in the background, i.e., underground?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes; I did.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you do that in your letter?
Mr. JOHNSON. In my letter; yes.
Mr. RANKIN. There is on the last or third page, Mr. Johnson, a
notation, "Arnold," with a line above and below that. Do you know whose
handwriting that is?
Mr. JOHNSON. Elizabeth Flynn's.
Mr. RANKIN. I hand you Exhibit 4-A and ask you if that is a reply that
you prepared to Exhibit 4.
Mr. JOHNSON. It is, but it is also to a further letter (indicating).
Mr. RANKIN. I hand you Johnson Exhibit No. 6, dated September 1, 1963,
apparently in the handwriting of Lee Harvey Oswald and consisting of
a part of one page in handwriting. Is that the other letter that you
referred to, that Exhibit 4-A is a response to?
Mr. JOHNSON. Yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Did you receive Exhibit 6 on or about the date it bears?
Mr. JOHNSON. Shortly after; yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Is it in the same form?
Mr. JOHNSON. It is.
Mr. RANKIN. So by Exhibit 4-A you tried to answer both Exhibit 4 and
Exhibit 6? Is that what you mean?
Mr. JOHNSON. And the one previous to that, too. There were three
letters that come in under this.