Mr. OSWALD. An unspoken agreement that we never would discuss it.
Representative BOGGS. I understand. Had you arrived at this agreement
because on previous occasions you had disagreed about political matters?
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir; that was not the reason. We just never discussed
politics.
Representative BOGGS. Did you have any interest in political affairs, I
mean----
Mr. OSWALD. A little bit, sir.
Representative BOGGS. I mean from a philosophical point of view?
Mr. OSWALD. My own interest in politics from a philosophical point
of view would be that I considered myself a conservative, a born
conservative. Certainly agreed 100 percent with the U.S. Constitution
and the laws that are set forth, and it is my upbringing, it is what I
always believed in and I will always believe in it.
Representative FORD. Did you say that was your mother's philosophy, too?
Mr. McKENZIE. No, sir; he did not say.
Mr. OSWALD. Would I say that?
Representative FORD. Yes.
Mr. OSWALD. I would say--I will tell you, at this present time I feel
like perhaps she has been hurt a great deal and perhaps her thinking
is being changed at this very moment and at the present time since
November 22d.
But prior to that time my opinion would be that she would be of the
same opinion that I was.
Representative FORD. That is why you said your attitude was based on
your upbringing.
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir. Of course, to qualify that my mother didn't
actually bring me up too much. The orphan home and the military
academy, and I believe there my basic philosophy was formulated. It was
a very good school.
Representative BOGGS. What military academy was that?
Mr. OSWALD. Chamberlain Hunt Military Academy at Port Gibson, Miss.
Representative FORD. During the 6 or 8 weeks that Lee resided in your
home, did he ever indicate why he went to Russia? You must have talked
about it some.
Mr. OSWALD. There again I believe we did more talking through the mails
about why he went to Russia than we did when he returned from Russia.
I, of course, wanted to talk to him about this.
Mr. DULLES. You have those letters, I believe.
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; we have those letters.
Mr. McKENZIE. Those letters have already been given to the Commission.
Mr. JENNER. We will present them in evidence, I think probably this
afternoon.
Representative BOGGS. Did he ever tell you?
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir; not point blank did he ever tell me why he went to
Russia.
Representative BOGGS. Did he tell you why he came back?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; that he was in--the letters that I have from him
while he was in Russia would indicate the same thing, that he was very
unhappy living in Russia and he wanted to return to the United States,
which, of course, made me very happy, and I felt like, and tried to
look at it from the standpoint that maybe he just sowed some wild oats.
He kind of went off to the far end of it, but I believe everyone of us
at one time, especially around that age, might have done something or
reached out far afield, so to speak, before we came to our senses and
returned to a normal life.
Mr. DULLES. Did he seem different when he came back from Russia, was
there a change in the man before and after?
Mr. OSWALD. Physically?
Mr. DULLES. No, I mean at all--changes, outlook, attitude and
general----
Mr. OSWALD. The mental attitude he had from his letters that he wrote
me when he first arrived in Russia were quite disturbing to me.
Statements, various statements, I can't quote them word for word, but
in the line of--well, he wanted to denounce his citizenship. He was a
Marxist and he was a Communist and he wanted to stay in Russia, and so
forth.
But when he started writing again in 1961--yes, 1961, his letters
certainly indicated that he had changed his mind, and that he wanted to
return to the United States and start his life as a U.S. citizen.
Representative BOGGS. You got to know Mrs. Oswald when she returned
with him?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir.
Representative BOGGS. Was the relationship between your family and your
wife and Mrs. Oswald, of course, I realize you had a language barrier,
but was it pleasant?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir. I would describe it as very pleasant. We
immediately, my wife and I both, took to Marina and June, the baby, at
that time, and my wife and I both were just tickled to death, so to
speak, for an opportunity to be with somebody like Marina and to show
her things that she had never seen before in her life.
Representative BOGGS. In the time, of course, you had known her ever
since she came here, and you have seen her since the assassination of
President Kennedy, have you had any feeling that she was anything other
than a normal housewife? You know there has been speculation that in
light of the fact she was born in Russia and that she got an exit visa
without too much difficulty that maybe she had connections that were
not entirely just that of a normal housewife. Did you ever have any
feeling----
Mr. OSWALD. The only time I had any reservations about Marina Oswald
was on Friday, November 22, until approximately 2 days later. I say
during this 2-day period I was not sure whether or not she had been
involved in any of the happenings of that date. I wanted not to
believe that she did, but I wanted to be cautious about it. I believe
on Sunday night, November 24, in my presence she gave a complete--and
freely stated everything up to that time that she was aware of to the
U.S. Secret Service on a tape recorder. And I formulated my opinion
then that apparently, and I feel this way now, that she did not have
anything to do with that, and she is nothing other than just what she
appears to be, just a housewife, having a very difficult time at this
time.
Representative BOGGS. Have you in your own mind reached any conclusions
on whether or not your brother killed President Kennedy?
Mr. OSWALD. Based on the circumstantial evidence that has been reported
in newspapers and over the radio and television, I would have to say
that it appears that he did kill President Kennedy.
Representative BOGGS. Would you, having reached that conclusion under
the circumstances that you outlined a moment ago, and having known him
all of his life, although not too intimately the last year of his life,
would you give us any reason for why he may have done this?
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir; I could not.
Representative BOGGS. It came as, I would think, a great shock to you?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; it certainly did, and I might add that the Lee
Harvey Oswald that I knew would not have killed anybody.
Representative BOGGS. Have you discussed this matter with your
stepbrother since it happened?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir.
Representative BOGGS. This, as I understand, Mr. Counsel, is hearsay
but we are just trying to establish----
Mr. McKENZIE. Mr. Boggs, in order that the record be absolutely clear,
you were not here when we commenced this morning due to your duties at
the House, let me state this for the purpose of the record and yourself
and the entire Commission, you ask Robert Oswald any question that you
want to ask him.
Representative BOGGS. Thank you very much.
Mr. McKENZIE. And furthermore, any information we have or any
information we can get from any source will likewise be turned over to
the Federal Bureau of Investigation or to this Commission or to any
other investigative agency, because----
Representative BOGGS. The mandate that we are operating under is that
we discover the truth.
Mr. McKENZIE. I can assure you, sir, that the main reason that we are
here, and I speak for Robert Oswald, is to see that the truth is given
fully, and developed as fully as possible, to give any light to this
tragic event.
Representative BOGGS. I just have one or two other questions.