Mr. Johnson.

(Document marked Johnson Exhibit No. 2.)

Mr. Rankin.

I hand you Exhibit No. 2 on your examination and ask you if you will identify that by stating whether or not you have seen that copy and the original of that copy at some time.

Mr. Johnson.

Yes. This is my reply to the letter we have just been discussing.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you prepare that reply?

Mr. Johnson.

I did.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you send it on or about the date it bears to Mr. Oswald?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes; I did.

Mr. Rankin.

Would you kindly initial it.
(Witness complies.)

Mr. Rankin.

Thank you. What did you mean in Exhibit 2 by the statement that "We do not have any organizational ties with the committee"?

Mr. Johnson.

That is in reference to the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.

Mr. Rankin.

Yes.

Mr. Johnson.

And there are no organizational ties between the Communist Party and the Fair Play for Cuba Committee; and since he was writing on that subject, I wanted to make it clear that there is no such relationship existing, so that literature that was being sent was not being sent from the viewpoint of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee as such, or anything like that.

Mr. Rankin.

By "organizational ties" did you mean to distinguish between that kind of a tie and some other kind of a tie; is that what you were trying to do?

Mr. Johnson.

In the sense well, in this sense, that while not being responsible for what that committee may do, if there were activities being done by a committee which would have our sympathy, well, there would be that kind of relationship; but that is not any--not where we would assume responsibility for it, nor could we indicate what its policy would be, or anything like that.

Mr. Rankin.

You are trying to distinguish between some official relationship and mere sympathy?

Mr. Johnson.

That is correct.

Mr. Rankin.

Is that it? You did recognize a sympathy or desire to encourage the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, I take it, then?

Mr. Johnson.

That and other similar committees, whatever they may be, but not exclusively that.
(Document marked Johnson Exhibit No. 3.)

Mr. Rankin.

I hand you Exhibit No. 3 and ask you if you recall having received that from Lee Harvey Oswald?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes; I do.

Mr. Rankin.

Is that one of the letters that you delivered to the FBI at the time you described?

Mr. Johnson.

That is.

Mr. Rankin.

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

Mr. Johnson.

I think so. I mean within those days; not on the day but afterward.

Mr. Rankin.

Do you recall receiving the honorary membership card of esteem that he says he is sending to you?

Mr. Johnson.

Somehow I do not; at least I never kept it, and it wasn't attached to the letter at all when I found it in the files, or anything like that. I do not recall that.

Mr. Rankin.

Will you kindly initial Exhibit 3 too, please.
(Witness complies.)

Mr. Rankin.

There is a reference in the second paragraph of Exhibit No. 3 to a clipping. Do you recall that at all?

Mr. Johnson.

I recall a clipping that had something to do with either a distribution of literature or a--and I think that was it. I am not too sure whether it also had something about an arrest or some altercation that he had been in. I did not keep it. I did not regard it as of any particular significance.

Mr. Rankin.

Do you recall destroying it or do you know what happened to the clipping?

Mr. Johnson.

Well, things like that I would just very likely throw in the wastebasket; that's all.