Mr. Ofstein.

possibly, is because I am outgoing and I try to get along with everybody, and I believe that their own disposition is theirs. If I don't like it, I don't exactly have to put up with it, but I feel that there are people who don't like me for things I do, so I overlooked most of his bad traits and things that most of the other fellows got upset about and mad about. And, we talked occasionally and he wanted to know at one point if it was possible to make an enlargement of a normal negative there such as is taken, in a small. camera and I told him, "Yes," and showed him how to do it, and he had one-picture that he wanted to enlarge. It showed a river of some sort, with a fairly nice looking building in the background, and I asked him if that was in Japan because he had been stationed in Japan.

Mr. Jenner.

.He told you he had?

Mr. Ofstein.

Yes, sir; and he said, "No, it wasn't in Japan," but he wouldn't elaborate on it, and I found out later that it was in Minsk.

Mr. Jenner.

How much later did you find that out?

Mr. Ofstein.

Possibly the latter part-of February, or the middle part of February 1963.

Mr. Jenner.

How did you find that out?

Mr. Ofstein.

came down with some Russian literature one day.

Mr. Jenner.

Russian literature what was the form of this literature?

Mr. Ofstein.

It was a newspaper, I believe, at the time.

Mr. Jenner.

English or Russian?

Mr. Ofstein.

Russian.

Mr. Jenner.

Printed in Russian hieroglyphics?

Mr. Ofstein.

Yes, sir; yes.

Mr. Jenner.

In other words, it was a Russian language publication?

Mr. Ofstein.

Yes; sir; published in the Soviet Union.

Mr. Jenner.

Did he show it to you?

Mr. Ofstein.

He didn't exactly show it to me, but it was in plain view.

Mr. Jenner.

Did you look at it?

Mr. Ofstein.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

Do you remember anything about it that would tend to identify it?

Mr. Ofstein.

Not extremely clearly it was possibly a copy of the Soviet White Russian, I believe is what the title of it is, but I noticed that there we had a conversation about the paper.

Mr. Jenner.

Was anybody present in addition to yourself and Oswald?

Mr. Ofstein.

I don't believe so; no, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

What was the substance of the conversation, first?

Mr. Ofstein.

Well, he saw me looking at the paper and he wanted to know if I understood anything that was written there, as I had written down a couple of characters and I told him I read a little and understood a little, and therefore I. asked him if he could read the paper, and he said, "Yes," he understood Russian very well, and that was possibly the thing that brought our friendship or acquaintanceship closer to being a friendship than anyone else's down there.

Mr. Jenner.

You discovered a common interest other than your work?

Mr. Ofstein.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

Where had you learned to decipher Russian characters?

Mr. Ofstein.

I learned this while I was in the service.

Mr. Jenner.

Where were you stationed?

Mr. Ofstein.

I was stationed in Germany for the active part of my tour. I was stationed in California for my training and at, the various and sundry other little towns for basic training and temporary status.

Mr. Jenner.

Did You take any work in the, language school out in California at Monterey?

Mr. Ofstein.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Jenner.

What language did you study there?

Mr. Ofstein.

Russian.

Mr. Jenner.

Tell-me how that came about?

Mr. Ofstein.

Well, when I went in the service I was interested in radio--I was a disc Jockey at the time, and the closest thing my, recruiting sergeant