Mr. Ford.

Well, George De Mohrenschildt has a reputation for being a left-wing enthusiast or something, I don't mean a member of the Communist Party, but he is, I have heard other people say he has expounded the ideals of Marxism and since Lee Oswald was supposedly a Marxist or a Communist they would agree on their political views.
Again, I have never heard George De Mohrenschildt expound on any of these ideas. I have met him socially several times and he is very pleasant, a big, good looking man, but other than their agreement on what is the ideal political system, I can't think of anything else they would have in common.

Mr. Liebeler.

Your knowledge of De Mohrenschildt's political views are hearsay?

Mr. Ford.

All of it is hearsay.

Mr. Liebeler.

How did you learn about Oswald's political views?

Mr. Ford.

Also hearsay, from other people.

Mr. Liebeler.

Can you tell us who told you about it?

Mr. Ford.

I can't remember anybody, any specific statement from anybody, but I have discussed it with people like both my wife and George Bouhe and I don't remember if I discussed it with the Mellers or not but it seems I have heard this from several different people about just about everybody who knew them, the Oswalds, this was one of the things that people were leery about in dealing with him was his reputation for being a Communist.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he have that reputation in the community?

Mr. Ford.

Yes, I think he had that reputation of either--not being a member, say, of the Communist Party, but his political ideas were either Marxist or Communist or something he had derived from reading Karl Marx, I suppose.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you know whether he expressed any extreme antagonism or antagonism of any sort toward the Government of the United States?

Mr. Ford.

The only occasion I know of was the first time I met him, he did blame the U.S. Embassy for delaying his exit, the exit of he and his wife from Russia.
He did state if it :had not been for their delaying the exit visa that his daughter would have been born in the United States rather than Russia.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he say anything more about that, do you remember any more in detail?

Mr. Ford.

Not that I heard of or can remember.

Representative Ford.

Did he think the birth of his daughter in Russia rather than in the United States was something important, did it appear that way?

Mr. Ford.

I don't know how important he thought it was. It actually started as a joke. We also had a baby born shortly before that and I said, "Pretty little Russian girl" or something like that, and he made a statement, "She is just as much a Texan as your son," and then went on to explain that if the U.S. Embassy had acted more quickly that he and Marina could have left Russia and that June, the daughter, would have been born in the United States. I don't know whether he placed any great importance on it or not.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Oswald ever appear to you to have any kind of a sense of humor?

Mr. Ford.

None whatsoever.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he say anything about the attitude the Russian authorities took when he wanted to come back to the United States and bring his wife back with him?

Mr. Ford.

He never said anything to me. I think he may have while he was talking Russian with these other people. He may have mentioned the fact that it was easier, they got their visa for he and his wife from the Russian authorities, the delay came from the American authorities, but I don't specifically know whether it did. He said these things, again it would be hearsay, again I would have heard it from my wife or somebody else who could speak Russian who had either discussed it with him or was present when he was discussing it with somebody else.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you ever hear Oswald or hear of Oswald making any remarks that would indicate a hostility toward President Kennedy?

Mr. Ford.

No; never did.

Mr. Liebeler.

What about Governor Connally?