Mr. Paine.

in the conversation someone there had spoken favorably of the revolution in Cuba. This was a surprise to me, I didn't realize that this was part of the was the present thrill, shall we say. I don't know whether that applied to Lyman also or whether--I think he went along with that. We didn't get around to arguing on that point. I only mention that in passing. That was about the full extent of it.
She mentioned Cuba in this favorable way, and it was a subject I didn't--

Mr. Dulles.

Who was this she?

Mr. Paine.

It was Grace somebody, I have forgotten.

Mr. Dulles.

One of the people present in these conversations?

Mr. Paine.

Yes. So that was my only knowledge that he was, or the people around him were, interested in Cuba, and that is the only thing I can see has any bearing in your interest here.

Mr. Liebeler.

To what extent would you say that your father has influenced your own political views and attitudes?

Mr. Paine.

I would have guessed it was almost negligible. I was aware that sometime in the beginning of college or something I used the language of the masses or I used jargon which I recognized, came to perceive was of quite leftist nature, and I think that at the time I used to get The Nation, that was in high school. I probably picked it up more from the magazines and things of that sort than from him.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you ever discuss your father with Lee Oswald?

Mr. Paine.

On a phone call shortly after the assassination he called and thought it was outrageous to be pinning Lee Oswald who was a scapegoat, an ideal person to hang the blame on.

Mr. Liebeler.

Your father called you?

Mr. Paine.

Yes; he called me, yes. He didn't suppose it was true, I told him I thought it probably was true. And I told him to keep his shirt on.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you remember anything else about that conversation?

Mr. Paine.

No. It was chiefly both he and Freddy, his wife, had to be calmed down. They thought it was a steamrollered job of injustice or something. And I didn't think their admonitions were-- I think not to say anything, not to join the hubbub or jump on the things I said or I took it to be things I said would be distorted and blown up and added to the hullabaloo to lynch Lee.

Representative Ford.

Did they infer or imply that the allegations or accusations against Oswald bore the semblance of a lynching? And I use lynching in the broad sense.

Mr. Paine.

They did not use lynching at all. I added that. They thought he was--

Representative Ford.

Being railroaded?

Mr. Paine.

No; he said that no one, no member of the Friends of Cuba would want to assassinate the President. That was a crazy idea.

Representative Ford.

You said that was a crazy idea?

Mr. Paine.

No; he said that. Therefore, he concluded, and this was the same, similar to my feeling, that I first didn't think Oswald had done it because I didn't see how it fitted in, how it helped his favorite ideals.
And Lyman then said the same thing. Therefore, including himself, Lyman, that Lee couldn't have done it, and that this must be Lee was the ideal person to hang it on.

Representative Ford.

How soon was this phone call after the assassination?

Mr. Paine.

I think it was--he did not know, I think, that we had Marina staying with us, but he was one of the first to connect, guess that it was us. He called and asked us, "Is this you?"

Representative Ford.

"Is this you?" What? I don't quite understand the context here.

Mr. Paine.

He heard it on the news and he heard Mrs. Paine, and Marina had been staying with a Mrs. Paine and he called to ask, "Are you the Paines?"

Mr. Liebeler.

Had you discussed Lee Oswald with your father prior to this time?

Mr. Paine.

No; I don't think I mentioned him.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you know whether your father knew Lee Oswald?