Mr. Liebeler.

You say you know Marina wrote Mrs. Paine a letter? Did Marina tell you that she wrote Mrs. Paine during that period?

Mrs. Ford.

I don't remember. I know later Mrs. Paine kept calling me and asked if I heard from Marina, because she kept writing to Marina and Marina didn't answer, so she wanted to know if I talked to her, that she was the reason she was calling me.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Mrs. Paine indicate to you after she called you trying to find out from Marina, did she indicate to you she had or had not heard from Marina since the assassination?

Mrs. Ford.

I believe she told me she talked on the telephone with her right soon after, after I did.

Mr. Liebeler.

During this first telephone conversation with Marina, was there anything said about the events of the assassination in any way?

Mrs. Ford.

No; not at all, except that Marina was very surprised the way people treated her. She was telling me that if it had happened in Russia, she just would--she just knew she wouldn't be talking to me or anybody else. She knew they would be sent to Siberia or shot right away is what she said.

Mr. Liebeler.

Is that what Marina said?

Mrs. Ford.

That is what she said. I told her that was the big difference in Russian Government and the American Government. And then she asked me for advice. Someone contacted her at the time from a western paper and offered her $10,000 or something for the story and she asked me if it was the right thing to do because she felt she didn't want to make money on such a thing, a horrible thing as that, and I advised her to take the money because I thought she would need it for the children.

Mr. Liebeler.

Now, after that first--was there anything else you discussed in that telephone conversation?

Mrs. Forty.

No; I think we talked mostly about that book deal, about the offer she had.

Mr. Liebeler.

After that first telephone conversation, what was the next contact you had with Marina?

Mrs. Ford.

That was quite a long time after that when it was again Mrs. Paine contacted me, and wanted to know if I could go and translate for them for, we were saying about that yesterday, what is that union.

Mr. Liebeler.

I did talk to you yesterday afternoon.

Mrs. Ford.

I have forgotten, I couldn't say because it is important.

Mr. Liebeler.

Was it the American Civil Liberties Union?

Mrs. Ford.

That is right, it was the American Civil Liberties Union and I talked to my husband about that and he tried to find out; I told him to find out all he can if it had anything to do with a Communist front or something and if it was I didn't want to do anything about it, to be connected with it, and he couldn't find anything out, but at the same time I told him that I did not want to go with them but I didn't mind translating. So I did translate and they wanted to know if Marina was held incommunicado, and she answered. Mrs. Paine brought me that letter to translate from English to Russian, and the man in charge, I don't know his name, I have forgotten his name, you mentioned it yesterday, if you say it I will remember it.

Mr. Liebeler.

Let's come to that in a moment, let's develop the story first.
How did the question of the American Civil Liberties first come up, did Mrs. Paine bring it up?

Mrs. Ford.

Yes; that is right, because she tried to write letters to Marina and she wouldn't answer and she thought she was held in sort of a protective custody and couldn't see anybody. That is what she felt, and she was rather imprisoned is what she thought.

Mr. Liebeler.

So Mrs. Paine came to you with a letter that was written in English, is that correct?

Mrs. Ford.

That is right.

Mr. Liebeler.

And she asked you to translate into Russian?

Mrs. Ford.

That is right.

Mr. Liebeler.

Was that a letter from Mrs. Paine to Marina or a letter from the Civil Liberties Union?

Mrs. Ford.

No; from Civil Liberties Union