Mr. JENNER. How did you become informed of this?
Mr. OSWALD. My wife called me at my office, sir. And she advised the
gentleman on the phone unless I said to the contrary it was certainly
satisfactory for him to come that night, which he did, at approximately
7 or 7:30 p.m.
Mr. JENNER. And you were there?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; I was there, and my wife was present.
Mr. JENNER. Did he give you his name, and do you recall what the name
was?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; I am sure he did give his name, but I do not
recall what his name was.
It was a rather brief meeting and conversation that we had, and it was
with regards to the possibility or inquiry into the possibility of
having Lee's wife, Mrs. Marina N. Oswald, brought to this country, with
Lee Harvey Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. As best as you can, would you reconstruct the conversation?
Mr. OSWALD. This gentleman did take notes or perhaps he did have a form
outlining various questions that he needed answers to. I do not recall
any specific questions. However, I did state to him, after three or
four questions, in regards to Lee Harvey Oswald being in the Soviet
Union, and quite surprised, I do recall, myself that he was not aware
of the reasons why--or the reported reasons why Lee had gone to the
Soviet Union.
And I suggested to the gentleman at that time that he perhaps contact
the FBI and I specifically mentioned Mr. Fain by name--he said he was
acquainted with Mr. Fain of the FBI Bureau, and that he would get the
background information from Mr. Fain in regards to Lee Harvey Oswald.
I believe, sir, to the best of my remembrance that he stated at that
time he was not aware of the situation, and he thought this was just an
"ordinary" case of bringing an immigrant in from the Soviet Union to
the United States.
Mr. JENNER. And when he said that, what person did you have in mind?
Mr. OSWALD. Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. That is the person to whom you thought he was referring,
was Marina?
Mr. OSWALD. That is correct.
Mr. DULLES. And this was after, as I recall, your correspondence showed
that they were planning to come back, was it not?
Mr. OSWALD. That is correct, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Could you give us a little more of your recollection as to
the thrust of his inquiries, the subject matter of his inquiries?
Mr. OSWALD. I believe, sir, the best of my recollection on that would
be directed to us at that time about Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. Of what nature--her age?
Mr. OSWALD. I do not recall any specific questions, sir.
Mr. DULLES. Did they inquire about the marriage? That would be one of
the things they would inquire about. Because it would be the marriage
to an American that would give her the preference. I was wondering
if that might have been the subject of the inquiry--whether you had
evidence that she was married to your brother.
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir; I do not recall that specific question, but
perhaps this ground was covered. It was just a general background on
Marina N. Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. But it did relate to Marina N. Oswald? You recall that much?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; it did.
Mr. JENNER. And the questions were directed toward her and about her
specifically?
Mr. OSWALD. More so than Lee Harvey Oswald. Some questions were
addressed to me by the gentleman in relation to my brother, Lee Harvey
Oswald.
Mr. JENNER. And the inquiries of the agent--he inquired of you as to
whether you were the brother of Lee Harvey Oswald, did he?
Mr. OSWALD. I am sure he did, sir.
Mr. JENNER. I am just trying to reconstruct the scene for you.
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And whether your brother Lee Harvey Oswald was then in
Russia, and had been in Russia?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. Whether he was married, and married to Marina?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And was he familiar with Marina's name?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; he was.
I might further add, sir, if I may, that the gentleman advised me he
assumed that Lee was employed by the Government in some capacity in
Russia, and not having any background or apparent background of Lee's
reported reasons for going to Russia.
Mr. JENNER. And did you make any response to that, when his
conversation was such as to indicate that he was not fully advised of
the circumstances under which your brother had entered and remained in
Russia?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; I did--to the extent as I have already testified.
I believe perhaps at this point, if not this exact point, I referred
him to the FBI Bureau and Mr. Fain.
Mr. JENNER. Did he ask you--did he inquire whether you had received
correspondence from your brother, or the extent to which you had been
in touch with each other?
Mr. OSWALD. Not that I recall, sir.
Mr. JENNER. These are horribly leading questions--but I take it then
his inquiries were largely directed toward, as a representative of
the Immigration and Naturalization Service, obtaining information as
to Marina, whom he understood to be the wife of your brother, who, in
turn, was about to return to the United States with Marina, then a
citizen of Russia?
Mr. OSWALD. That is correct.
Mr. JENNER. How long did this interview last?
Mr. OSWALD. Approximately 30 minutes, sir.
Mr. JENNER. And your mind's eye is that he had a form, or he had some
set questions which he was asking from a sheet of paper?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; I do.
Mr. JENNER. Rather than the typical FBI or Secret Service inquiry, in
which the questions range, as mine have, for example, largely dependent
upon what your answers to the previous questions were?
Mr. OSWALD. That is correct, sir.
I believe the gentleman did have some type of set form as to questions
he was referring to when he spoke to me.
Mr. JENNER. Did he go into your family background, your own age, your
occupation, and that sort of thing?
Mr. OSWALD. I believe, sir; he just went into my background, as to
the extent of my relation to Lee Harvey and Marina N. Oswald at that
particular time.
Mr. JENNER. Would you describe this gentleman, please--his physical
appearance?
Mr. McKENZIE. If you recall.
Mr. JENNER. Yes, of course.
Mr. OSWALD. To the best of my remembrance, I would describe this man to
be average build, rather short, approximately 5-foot 9 or 5-foot 10,
perhaps in his middle forties or early fifties. I do recall, sir; if I
might further add, as the gentleman was leaving the house that night,
I requested of him if it was possible for him to notify me when and if
Marina's visa would be accepted or not, and he replied to me at that
time that he could not do that. And I replied back to him that I guess
I would know about it from the extent that if she arrived over here, it
was approved.
Mr. JENNER. Have you now exhausted your recollection of this particular
incident?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; I have.
Mr. DULLES. Could I ask a question there?
Do you recall that at any time the State Department was in touch with
you over this general period--that is, the period of your brother's
stay in the Soviet Union, or his prospective return here?
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir; at no time was I aware of any member of the State
Department being in contact with me.
And I might further add that at this particular time, after the
Immigration and Naturalization agent was there, including my prior
testimony as to the contacts with the FBI Bureau, these were the only
times prior to his arrival I was in contact with any Government agency.
Mr. JENNER. Any agency of the Government of the United States?
Mr. OSWALD. Yes, sir; that is correct.
Mr. JENNER. Now, were you consciously in contact during any of that
period up to November 22, 1963, with any agent or agency of any other
government?
Mr. OSWALD. No, sir; I was not.
And I might further add that no one else other than perhaps my close
friends inquired as to my contact with Lee Harvey Oswald during that
period.
Mr. JENNER. All right.
You have related to us an incident of your brother being interviewed by
the FBI, and he reporting back to you either that evening or that same
day of that interview. That is the one in which your brother reported
to you that inquiry had been made of him as to whether he was an agent
of any agency of the United States, and you responded--I have forgotten
now just how you phrased it.