(Testimony of Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald Resumed)
Mrs. Oswald.
The house in which we lived belonged to the factory in which Lee worked. But, of course, no one had a separate apartment for only two persons. I think that Lee had been given better living conditions, better than others, because he was an American. If Lee had been Russian, and we would have had two children, we could not have obtained a larger apartment. But since he was an American, we would have obtained the larger one. It seems to me that in Russia they treat foreigners better than they should. It would be better if they treated Russians better. Not all foreigners are better than the Russians.
Mr. Rankin.
Did he say whether he liked this job?
Mrs. Oswald.
No, he didn't like it.
Mr. Rankin.
What did he say about it?
Mrs. Oswald.
First of all, he was being ordered around by someone. He didn't like that.
Mr. Rankin.
Anything else?
Mrs. Oswald.
And the fact that it was comparatively dirty work.
Mr. Rankin.
Did he say anything about the Russian system, whether he liked it or not?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes. He didn't like it. Not everything, but some things.
Mr. Rankin.
Did he say anything about Communists and whether he liked that?
Mrs. Oswald.
He didn't like Russian Communists. He said that they joined the party not because of the ideas, but in order to obtain better living conditions and to get the benefit of them.
Mr. Rankin.
Did it appear to you that he had become disenchanted with the Soviet system?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes, he had expected much more when he first arrived.
Mr. Rankin.
Did he ever tell you why he came to Russia?
Mrs. Oswald.
Yes. He said he had read a great deal about Russia, he was interested in seeing the country, which was the first in the Socialist camp about which much had been said, and he wanted to see it with his own eyes. And, therefore, he wanted to be not merely a tourist, who is being shown only the things that are good, but he wanted to live among the masses and see.
But when he actually did, it turned out to be quite difficult.
The Chairman.
I think we better adjourn now for the day.
(Whereupon, at 4:30 p.m., the President's Commission recessed.)
The Chairman.
Thursday, February 6, 1964
Testimony of Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald Resumed
The Chairman.
The President's Commission met at 10 a.m. on February 6, 1964, at 200 Maryland Avenue NE., Washington, D.C.
Present were Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman; Senator John Sherman Cooper, Representative Hale Boggs, Representative Gerald R. Ford, and Allen W. Dulles, members.
Also present were J. Lee Rankin, general counsel; Melvin Aron Eisenberg, assistant counsel; Norman Redlich, assistant counsel; William D. Krimer, and Leon I. Gopadze, interpreters; and John M. Thorne, attorney for Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald.
The Chairman.
The Commission will be in order. We will proceed again. Mr. Rankin?
Mr. Rankin.
Mrs. Oswald, if I may return a moment with you to the time that you told us about your husband practicing with the rifle at Love Field. As I recall your testimony, you said that he told you that he had taken the rifle and practiced with it there, is that right?
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