Mr. COLEMAN. Well, would you look at that, sir?
Mr. SNYDER. Yes; this was the statement of the correspondent. The
correspondent states that.
Mr. COLEMAN. Oh, you were informing the Department that the
correspondent told you that she felt that Oswald may have been leaving
a crack open?
Mr. SNYDER. That is right. This crack part here is part of the sentence
"correspondent states."
Mr. COLEMAN. Who was the correspondent?
Mr. SNYDER. This was Priscilla Johnson.
Mr. COLEMAN. And I take it you were the one that prepared Commission
Exhibit No. 921?
Mr. SNYDER. Yes, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. You also state that no known Soviet publicity on case. I
take it you meant by that there had been no mentioning in the Soviet
press about Oswald.
Mr. SNYDER. Yes, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. Are you saying from the time he came into your Embassy
office until the time you wrote that airgram, that there was nothing in
the Soviet press about Oswald?
Mr. SNYDER. Not to my knowledge.
Mr. COLEMAN. Is that usual in these cases, where Americans attempt to
renounce their citizenship?
Mr. SNYDER. I think if there is a usual pattern--and, again, this is
difficult to use words like "usual" because there are never two cases
alike in this sort of thing--but if there is a usual pattern, it is
that there is some exploitation of the defector in Soviet public
media, usually after the details of his defection have been settled,
particularly the detail as to whether the Soviet Union desires to have
him.
Up to that point, publicity in the Soviet press probably is not to be
expected.
Mr. COLEMAN. After you sent the airgram dated December 1, 1959, to the
Department of State, which is Commission Exhibit No. 921, you didn't
have any more contact with Oswald until some time in February 1961, is
that correct?
Mr. SNYDER. Yes, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. In the meantime, however, there was correspondence between
the Embassy in Moscow and the State Department, is that correct?
Mr. SNYDER. Yes, sir.