Mr. RANKIN. And your daughter-in-law.
Mrs. OSWALD. That is not my statement. I said I thought that we have a
plot in our own government, and that there is a high official involved.
And I am thinking that probably these Secret Service men are part of it.
Now, I didn't say in a conspiracy--make it as strong as you did. I have
made it strong. But I am under the impression that possibly there is
a leak in our own government. And when I come to these papers--and I
specifically yesterday morning asked about Senator Tower.
Now, I am not throwing any reflection on Senator Tower. But he made the
statement in the paper that he had a letter from the State Department
saying that Lee had renounced his citizenship.
Now, you see, I don't have that paper with me. I had it yesterday
morning. But his whole quotes--the dates and everything of the letter
that he was supposed to have had is not in correspondence with the
dates that I have from the State Department papers which you gentlemen
know that I have all these papers from the State Department. Nothing
corresponds with what I have.
So I wanted to know and see this letter that Senator Tower claims he
has. It could have been that it was an error in newspaper reporting,
and I will say in slang he could have shot his mouth off, because he
said he would not help the boy when the boy wrote him the letter.
Representative FORD. Mr. Chairman, I saw the letter that Lee Harvey
Oswald wrote to Senator Tower the day after the assassination. And
I believe I also saw the response that he received from one of the
agencies of the Federal Government. Senator Tower had the original
of the letter. If it is not in our Commission files, I am sure it is
available for the Commission files--along with, whatever exchange of
correspondence he had with the Department of State concerning the
matter.
Mrs. OSWALD. Well, now, what is of utmost interest to me in this
particular case is if there is such a letter, and it does not
correspond with anything that I have, I would like to know who in the
State Department wrote this particular letter.
Representative FORD. I would not know who in the State Department
wrote the letter. I would suspect it was the Assistant Secretary for
Congressional Affairs, Fred Dutton, I believe.
Mrs. OSWALD. I am not suspecting, because I have many, many letters
from the State Department, and I also have something else that I will
present that maybe would be another party involved. There is very
conflicting testimony.
You must realize that I went to Washington in 1961 and was in
conference with three officials. And this was another Administration.
Now, I don't know much about politics, gentlemen. But I do know a
little from the news.
Lee's defection was in one Administration--right?
And now this is of another Administration, the Kennedy Administration.
And there could be a leak in the State Department. That is not
impossible.
So I have two instances that I, myself, am not satisfied.
Mr. RANKIN. A leak is so much different from a conspiracy to
assassinate the President, though.
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, but this leak this could be the party involved in the
assassination of the President--the high officials I am speaking of. I
cannot pin it down to one sentence, gentlemen.
Mr. RANKIN. Well, you named the Secret Service men, two of them.
Mrs. OSWALD. That is right.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, do you have anything that shows you that either of
those men were involved in the conspiracy to assassinate President
Kennedy?
Mrs. OSWALD. I will answer that emphatically no. What I have stated
is the way they treated me, sir. I elaborated the way these two men
treated me--correct? I did that testimony yesterday.
So I have to consider these two men. I will put it that way.
Mr. RANKIN. Let's consider Marina Oswald. Do you have anything that
will show that she was involved in any conspiracy to assassinate
President Kennedy?
Mrs. OSWALD. I feel like Marina is involved and also Mrs. Paine, yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, what do you have in that regard?
Mrs. OSWALD. All right--because Marina--now this I have said to Mr.
Jack Lengett, who is a New York Times newspaperman a long time ago. And
I was ashamed to say it to anyone else. And I didn't tell it to him for
a long time.
The story yesterday at the Six Flags, when I said to you Marina
shrugged me off, and the second time she shrugged me off. The second
time she said--and I would not say it now unless I had told Mr. Jack
Lengett--she said, "You no have job."
In other words, since Marina was being offered a home, then you go
to--"You don't have job."
Before she was satisfied to take $863 and live with me. I was giving
her my money and giving her my love. And then, "You no have job."
I am trying to show you the disposition of my daughter-in-law. I love
her. But I am trying to show you that there is two sides. I told you
how she hit the little girl with the comb. "Mama, I no need you, Mama.
You don't have job."
Mr. RANKIN. Why does that show she was involved in any conspiracy?
Mrs. OSWALD. Because I am going to try to show there is discrepancies
all along. She was not supposed to speak English.
I testified that I, myself, questioned her for an FBI agent. I acted as
interpreter. So Marina did know English and understand English. So that
is a question.
Mr. RANKIN. I thought you said she spoke broken English.
Mrs. OSWALD. Broken English. But she is not supposed to speak English
at all, until now that she has learned English. That has been
publicized over and over.
Mr. RANKIN. And you think she could understand English fluently?
Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, sir. I also told you when she lived with me that
month in my home, how we conversed and talked. And yet the impression
is that Marina came here and didn't speak English at all.
Mr. RANKIN. How does that show she conspired to assassinate the
President?
Mrs. OSWALD. Because Marina now is not happy. Marina was very happy, I
explained to you, the month she was with me in the beginning that they
had rented this house. And then Marina made friends, very, very many
friends. And Marina became discontented with Lee. Lee could not give
her the things she wanted, what he told her about America. And Marina
now has become discontented with me. I don't mean now--I mean at the
Six Flags.
Mama always had a big heart. I quit a job to help these children, and
that is perfectly all right. That is my nature.
But then, when she has somebody else, you are pushed aside.
I am trying to show this. And, as I go along--I cannot help but face
this, gentlemen, it is a fact. I cannot help but face these things.
So I am under the impression--and this is speculation, like anything
else--circumstantial evidence, let's say.
I am just a layman. That is what you have against my son. Nobody saw
him with a rifle shoot the President. So you have mostly circumstantial
evidence.