The testimony of Priscilla Mary Post Johnson, was taken at 10:25 a.m.,
on July 25, 1964, at 200 Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C., by
Messrs. W. David Slawson and Richard M. Mosk, assistant counsel of the
President's Commission.
Mr. SLAWSON. I will swear you in if you will rise? Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Miss JOHNSON. I do.
Mr. SLAWSON. Miss Johnson, would you please state your full name and
address?
Miss JOHNSON. My full name is Priscilla Mary Post Johnson, 48 Brattle
Street, Cambridge, Mass.
Mr. SLAWSON. And would you state for the record your occupation or
activities now and also what they were in 1959 when you saw Lee Harvey
Oswald?
Miss JOHNSON. In 1959 I was a Moscow correspondent for the North
American Newspaper Alliance, and now I am a freelance writer on Soviet
affairs.
Mr. SLAWSON. Have you been given a copy of the Executive order and the
joint resolution authorizing the creation of this Commission?
Miss JOHNSON. I have.
Mr. SLAWSON. And an opportunity to read them?
Miss JOHNSON. I have.
Mr. SLAWSON. Miss Johnson has been asked to testify this morning
because she in the course of her duties as a newspaper correspondent
in 1959 interviewed Lee Harvey Oswald on at least one occasion while
he was in Moscow, just after he had announced to the American Embassy
that he wanted to renounce his American citizenship and become a Soviet
citizen. She is going to describe to the best of her recollection,
with the help of her notes taken at the time, what went on during that
interview. Miss Johnson, first I think we will put in as exhibits the
various notes you have taken and articles you have written since that
time, about your interview with Mr. Oswald. I present you a copy,
marked Johnson Exhibit No. 1, of the notes you have said were taken at
that time, and I wonder if you would acknowledge that that is a true
copy.
Miss JOHNSON. Yes; it is.
(Priscilla Mary Post Johnson Exhibit No. 1 was marked for
identification.)
Mr. SLAWSON. I present this as Exhibit No. 1, introduce it in evidence
as Exhibit No. 1.
(Priscilla Mary Post Johnson Exhibit No. 1 was received in evidence.)
Mr. SLAWSON. Miss Johnson, I have marked this as Exhibit No. 2.
(Priscilla Mary Post Johnson Exhibit No. 2 was marked for
identification.)
Mr. SLAWSON. It purports to be a true copy of the article you wrote of
your interview with Mr. Oswald, and submitted on November 18, 1959.
Miss JOHNSON. That is right. I submitted it to the Soviet censor on
November 18.
Mr. SLAWSON. I submit this in evidence and mark it as Exhibit No. 2.
(Priscilla Mary Post Johnson Exhibit No. 2 was received in evidence.)
Mr. MOSK. Miss Johnson, was anything censored?
Miss JOHNSON. No. It would show on that. Nothing was censored.
Mr. SLAWSON. I now show you a document marked Exhibit No. 3 which
purports to be a true copy of an article you wrote for the Boston Globe.
Miss JOHNSON. I wrote it for the North American Newspaper Alliance.
That just happens to be one place that it appeared. It probably
appeared in other places too.
(Priscilla Mary Post Johnson Exhibit No. 3 was marked for
identification.)