Mr. JENNER. Did you, first, yes or no?
Mrs. PAINE. I became better acquainted with Marina.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chairman, if members of the Commission--I am going to
pass from this initial event--if you have any questions you would like
to put to the witness now rather than my deferring it.
Mr. McCLOY. Are there any questions?
The CHAIRMAN. Not for me.
Representative FORD. Not at this point.
Senator COOPER. No.
Mr. McCLOY. May I ask one? Did Oswald, Lee Oswald on this occasion
express any dislike for any elements or aspects of American society?
Mrs. PAINE. I can't recall anything specific that was said.
Mr. McCLOY. He did not indicate to this group why it was that he left
the United States to go to Russia originally?
Mrs. PAINE. It is hard to say how I formed this opinion, but I gathered
that he disapproved of the economic system.
Mr. McCLOY. Was there anything more specific than that that he referred
to? Did he refer, for example, to any dislike of individuals?
Mrs. PAINE. Individuals? No; I am certain there was none.
Mr. McCLOY. In government or out of government?
Mrs. PAINE. No.
Mr. McCLOY. Your impression was that he was motivated to go to the
Soviet Union because he didn't like the capitalist system?
Mrs. PAINE. Right.
Mr. McCLOY. And had an affinity for what might be called the Marxist
system, is that right?
Mrs. PAINE. Right.
Mr. McCLOY. That is all the questions that I have.
Mr. JENNER. Along those lines, Mrs. Paine, did he make any remarks
with respect to workers in Russia as compared with the position, the
economic position of workers in America? Did he refer to workers as a
subject?
Mrs. PAINE. I don't remember.
Mr. JENNER. I am trying to refresh your recollection. You said
economics, he thought that the economic situation was superior in
Russia. I wonder whether he related it to the ordinary worker rather
than the overall system.
Mrs. PAINE. I don't remember.
Representative FORD. How well did Marina speak English at the time you
made the first acquaintance or first contact?
Mrs. PAINE. I was under the impression she spoke no English at all.
Representative FORD. Did she appear to understand any English at that
time?
Mrs. PAINE. I don't believe she understood much of anything.
Mr. JENNER. That was your definite impression?
Mrs. PAINE. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Did you hear her speak any English words that evening?
Mrs. PAINE. No.
Mr. JENNER. None whatsoever?
Mrs. PAINE. No.
Mr. McCLOY. Senator Cooper?
Senator COOPER. I believe you said a few minutes ago that you were
interested in knowing why Lee Oswald left the United States and went to
Russia. Did you say that?
Mrs. PAINE. Well, I don't recall saying it. I suppose I was curious.
Mr. McCLOY. I don't recall that she actually said that. She said it was
an interesting situation.
Mrs. PAINE. It was unusual, I think I probably said.
Mr. McCLOY. She used the word unusual.
Mrs. PAINE. An unusual thing to do, certainly.
Senator COOPER. I don't want to say that you said something you didn't,
but I got the impression that one of the reasons you were interested
in meeting this family was in fact that this man had left the United
States and gone to Russia.
Mrs. PAINE. No.
Senator COOPER. In some sense?
Mrs. PAINE. Not in any sense whatever.
Mr. McCLOY. As I recall it she did say that this was an unusual
situation, and that to some extent developed your interest. This is Mr.
Dulles, a member of the Commission.
Senator COOPER. Maybe I could put it this way. Perhaps we could read
back and find out, but I thought that you intimated or indicated that
you were interested in the fact that this man had gone to Russia.