Mr. ISAACS. The Department of Social Welfare. Then Miss Elliott called
the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and, of course,
we understand that this is the means they used to get the information,
and they call Washington, and when they have this information it is
relayed back in the same way. And then the administrator tells us,
yes, he is a repatriate. And in this instance, this is what actually
happened, as I remember it. We were told that they were.
Now, we have a policy of calling whatever relatives are available
to determine whether relatives could meet the cost of their return.
In this instance he asked to be returned to Texas, and we did get
enough information in our application blank to show that there was a
brother--I believe it was Robert--who lived in Texas, and I made a
telephone call to the brother. The brother was not in, and I spoke with
his wife--I don't remember her first name--and I told her that Mr.
Oswald was here with his wife and infant, and they wanted to return to
Texas, and would they be able to raise sufficient funds to meet this
cost. She was very happy, apparently, to learn that they had arrived
already--evidently they had some advance notice--and she immediately
said she will call her husband and make arrangements to send this
money--I don't remember the amount that was involved.
Mr. LIEBELER. Was Oswald present at the time you made this telephone
call?
Mr. ISAACS. No, no. I make that call in my own office. We never make it
in their presence.
Now, when I got this information, and she told me--her name was also
Oswald, Mrs. Robert Oswald, we will say--she told me that this money
would be sent. I went in, and this was the first contact that I had
with Mr. Oswald. I--excuse me----
Mr. LIEBELER. You first called the home of Robert Oswald in Texas and
spoke to his wife?
Mr. ISAACS. That's right.
Mr. LIEBELER. And she told you that she would call her husband and find
out if they could make the money available? Did she then call you back?
Mr. ISAACS. I can't remember whether it was just that way. I'm
uncertain about that. I'm sorry about that. I think that she said, "I
will call him and send the money." I'm not positive, but I think that's
the way it happened, because I don't remember her calling me back.
In any event, I gave her all the information, gave her my name. We
always, in this kind of thing, because when the money comes in, they
don't know to whom to direct the money. So I gave her my name and
told her to send the money attention Martin Isaacs. When I went in
and told the Oswalds about this--Mrs. Oswald, of course, cannot speak
English--at that time.
Mr. LIEBELER. Did you try to speak to her?
Mr. ISAACS. I tried to speak to her, but she couldn't speak a single
word. And he told me that she can't speak any English. But when I told
him that I contacted his sister-in-law, he was quite angered, he was
really very upset, and told us, told me that he did not want to accept
this money, that this was a brother who did not have a large income,
and that we should meet this cost ourselves. And I told him what our
policy was, that in all instances we are required by law to request
that relatives or friends, if there are such friends available, meet
these expenses, if they can.
Now, in this instance, his sister-in-law said that she would send the
money, so we would have to accept this. He did not want to accept our
decision on this. He insisted that he see the administrator of our
office, because he wanted to protest my having made this phone call and
asking for the money.