Mr. Johnson.

No; I did not.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you discuss this Exhibit 4 with anyone else at the time you prepared your answer?

Mr. Johnson.

When Elizabeth gave it to me, just that she indicated that I should answer it. There was really no discussion of what the answer would be.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you give him an answer as to whether he should remain in the background, i.e., underground?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes; I did.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you do that in your letter?

Mr. Johnson.

In my letter; yes.

Mr. Rankin.

There is on the last or third page, Mr. Johnson, a notation, "Arnold," with a line above and below that do you know whose handwriting that is?

Mr. Johnson.

Elizabeth Flynn's.

Mr. Rankin.

I hand you Exhibit 4--A and ask you if that is a reply that you prepared to Exhibit 4.

Mr. Johnson.

It is, but it is also to a further letter (indicating).

Mr. Rankin.

I hand you Johnson Exhibit No. 6, dated September 1, 1963, apparently in the handwriting of Lee Harvey Oswald and consisting of a part of one page in handwriting. Is that the other letter that you referred to, that Exhibit 4-A is a response to?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you receive Exhibit 6 on or about the date it bears?

Mr. Johnson.

Shortly after; yes.

Mr. Rankin.

Is it in the same form?

Mr. Johnson.

It is.

Mr. Rankin.

So by Exhibit 4-A you-tried to answer both Exhibit 4 and Exhibit 6? Is that what you mean?

Mr. Johnson.

And the one previous to that, too. There were three letters that come in under this.

Mr. Rankin.

By these three, you are referring to Exhibit 3----

Mr. Johnson.

No. 3, 4, and 6.

Mr. Rankin.

Will you initial those two as I have done, Mr. Johnson.
(Witness complies.)

Mr. Rankin.

In Exhibit 4-A, you speak about finding some way touch with Mr. Oswald in Baltimore. Can you tell us what you meant by that?

Mr. Johnson.

In his letter of September 1, he refers that he is going to come to the Baltimore-Washington area and asked for information about how to reach somebody. It is not my practice to refer them to people until a person comes into an area, and if there is any reason to refer them to a person, then I do so under those circumstances. Thus, this is a simple form of simply--of just saying that when such a circumstance arises we can make a contact, that is, look him up wherever he is at the time.

Mr. Rankin.

After you received the letter, Exhibit 4, with regard to Lee Harvey Oswald's trying to dissolve his American citizenship while he was in the Soviet Union, did you make any inquiry to try to determine whether he had taken such action?

Mr. Johnson.

Nothing further than was in the letter itself.

Mr. Rankin.

And you said that it is often advisable for some people to remain in the background, not underground. What did you mean by that?

Mr. Johnson.

Very simply that as an American citizen, whatever he is doing should always be aboveground; that a person remains in the background within any organizational activities, that he does not push himself forward in whatever he is doing.
(Document marked Johnson Exhibit No. 5.)

Mr. Rankin.

I hand you Exhibit No. 5 and ask you whether that letter dated August 31, 1963, consisting of two pages and an envelope was one of the pieces of correspondence you turned over the FBI at time you described?

Mr. Johnson.

It is.

Mr. Rankin.

Had you seen that Exhibit 5 at some time prior to the time you turned it over?