Mr. OSWALD. To some degree it had; yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. In other words, then, the letter, when you did receive it,
with these utterances in it, did not surprise you?
Mr. OSWALD. I feel, perhaps, if anything would have surprised me
that did not appear, to my recollection, would be the statement "I
will never return to the United States, which is a country I hate,"
particularly the latter part of that statement--"which is a country I
hate."
Mr. JENNER. That did shock you despite your having read the newspaper
clippings or articles?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir, I feel certain that it did.
Mr. JENNER. And in your response to your brother's letter, did you
advert to that particular portion of his letter? To the best of your
recollection?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir--I was just making a note on that. I didn't
realize you would ask me that so soon. I do believe I asked him why he
hated the United States.
Mr. JENNER. Now, have you given us--exhausted your recollection as
to the content of the letter you wrote in response to the letter of
November 8, Commission Exhibit 294?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; I feel I have.
Mr. JENNER. Well, now, let us turn, if we might, to Letter No. 26,
which is Exhibit 295, an eight-page letter.
Mr. OSWALD. All right, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Chairman, to summarize this letter, if I may, for
you, it is an eight-page letter. Lee Harvey Oswald sets forth in it
extensively his philosophies, what they purport to be as of that time,
the reasons why he has decided to defect to the Soviet Union.
He complained about the economic system in the United States.
Mr. DULLES. System?
Mr. JENNER. System--which he stated exploited all of its workers.
He complained of segregation and unemployment, and automation in the
United States.
He stressed disapproval of American foreign policy, which he
characterized as being one of imperialism. In framework, it is framed
as a response partly to some questions that our present witness has
posed in a letter, which Mr. Robert Oswald had written in response
to the letter of November 8, such as a question as to why Lee Harvey
Oswald and his fellow workers and communists would like to see the
present capitalist system of the United States overthrown--he having
made an indication to the witness in that respect.
Apparently in Robert's letter to Lee, he had couched it in terms of
suggesting that apparently Lee Harvey Oswald thought he might have
some advantage economically if he went to Russia, and Lee Harvey
Oswald responded, "So you speak of advantages. Do you think that is
why I am here, for personal material advantages? Happiness is not
based on one's self, does not consist of a small home, of taking and
getting. Happiness is taking part in a struggle where there is no
borderline between one's own personal world and the world in general.
I never believed I would find more material advantages at this stage
of development in the Soviet Union than I might have had in the United
States."
Mr. McKENZIE. At this point, Mr. Chairman, I might also add, in
connection with what Mr. Jenner has stated about this letter, that the
letter appears, in answering questions that Robert may have posed in a
previous letter to Lee Harvey Oswald--it appears to have been lifted in
some respects out of a communist text, and it even appears to me--and
this is pure supposition, that it could possibly have been written by
someone else with Lee Harvey Oswald coming back in and adding other
things to it. It is the longest letter received, consisting of some
eight pages. A careful reading of the letter will show only one or two
misspelled words, whereas in the other letters there are a number of
misspelled words.
And I don't know what that adds or detracts from the record. But I do
feel that there is a difference in the letters as you read all of them
put together.
Mr. DULLES. I am glad you called that to our attention. It is an
interesting observation.
Mr. OSWALD. And I would like to, if I may, point out something I
observed in between the letter of November 8, 1959, and the letter of
November 26, 1959.
In the letter of November 8, 1959, towards the last paragraph on the
last page, I quote, "I really don't see what we could talk about. If
you want to send me money, that I can use. But I do not expect to be
able to pay it back."
I now refer to the letter of November 26, 1959, on the last page, the
second last paragraph, "I have no money problems at all"--underlined.
"My situation was not really as stable then as it is now. I have no
troubles at all now along that line."
Mr. McKENZIE. And, furthermore, he had moved from Room 233 in the
Metropole Hotel to Room 201 in the Metropole Hotel. And marks on the
letter of November 26th, "Note new room number."
Mr. DULLES. Could I get into the record here, just for
clarification--when was this written in relation to his arrival in the
Soviet Union? Do we have that on the record? Was it a month after? Was
it before the other incident that has been described for the record,
with regard to----
Mr. OSWALD. If I may, sir; I believe I can answer that.
Mr. JENNER. I didn't want to hazard a guess. If you know, will you
please state it?
Mr. OSWALD. I believe Lee, as a matter of record, did arrive in the
Soviet Union on October 13, 1959.
Mr. DULLES. Is it written then, roughly, a little less than a month
and--a little over a month after his arrival--these two letters
referred to?
Mr. OSWALD. That is correct.
Mr. JENNER. I intended to draw your attention to that which you have
already mentioned--that is, in the letter of November 8 he indicated
that he would be pleased if you would send him some funds, whereas on
the last page of the letter of November 26th he advises you that as far
as funds are concerned--he is in good shape.
Mr. DULLES. And both of these letters were written, as I recall, before
he was advised that he could not stay on in the Soviet Union the first
time?
Mr. JENNER. That is correct, sir. They are written before he went to
Minsk, as well.
Mr. DULLES. Thank you.
Mr. JENNER. Had you sent him any funds in the interim period?
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir.
Referring to my testimony yesterday--at which time I replied to his
letter of November 8, 1959, on his request for any money that I might
send him, I stated to him I would gladly send him the necessary money
for his return to the United States, and for that reason only.