Mrs. Paine.

I can't be certain that this is when I first got an idea about why he wanted to go or whether I learned this later.

Mr. Jenner.

Does your memory serve you enough so that there is a fair Possibility that--it is important to us--was the subject discussed at that gathering?

Mrs. Paine.

I think so.

Mr. Jenner.

And that is your best recollection?

Mrs. Paine.

Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

Now would you give us your best recollection of what he said or what Marina said, but primarily what Mr. Oswald said on that subject. Why did he go to Russia?

Mrs. Paine.

I carry the impression, and I think it is recalled from this evening--

Mr. Jenner.

Excuse me. When you say you carry the impression you are saying "It is my present recollection."

Mrs. Paine.

All right. That he spoke of himself as a Marxist that evening, that he had read certain Marxist books and thought that the Soviet economic system was superior to ours, and wanted to go to the Soviet Union and live there.

Mr. Jenner.

What response was elicited from others at the meeting, agreement?

Mrs. Paine.

No; I would not say there was any agreement. People were interested. This is an unusual thing to do. And they were interested in hearing how he found Soviet life, what he thought of it, whether he was pleased or disappointed.

Mr. Jenner.

Would you be good enough to tell the members of the Commission what Mr. Oswald said in those respects, to the best of your recollection?

Mrs. Paine.

He mentioned that he was displeased with the censorship, or at least he commented on it in a way that I took as unfavorable.

Mr. Jenner.

Thank you, Ma'am. Did he say he was--

Mrs. Paine.

What had happened, yes.

Mr. Jenner.

What censorship is he talking about?

Mrs. Paine.

He referred to a letter that had been sent to him by Robert Oswald that he later learned, after he had come back to the United States, had been sent. He had not received it. He judged that they had simply stopped it, and he commented that they are more apt to just take a letter than take out a piece of it and then send it on, and that censorship is more obvious.

Mr. Jenner.

All right, go on.

Mrs. Paine.

I wondered, listening to him, whether he really was.

Mr. Jenner.

Excuse me, please. Before we get to what you wondered about, exhaust your recollection as to what he said, what others might have said on the subjects in his presence about which he talked.

Mrs. Paine.

That is all I can think of.

Mr. Jenner.

You mentioned, also, Mrs. Paine, that there was discussed that evening the subject of his return to America.

Mrs. Paine.

Obviously, yes.

Mr. Jenner.

Why he returned, was that subject discussed?

Mrs. Paine.

Not very much, no. I can't recall any specifics relating to that.

Mr. Jenner.

All you can recall, I take it, at the moment, is that there was an allusion to the subject?

Mrs. Paine.

Well, he was clearly here, yes. He had come back, and--well, I have to put it in terms of what I guess or what I feel was his reaction. I can't give you a specific recall.

Mr. Jenner.

We have no objection to your doing that. We would like to have you first state all you can recall as to what specifically happened in this instance. How did Mr. Oswald treat or regard--what relationship did you gather existed between Marina and her husband, a cordial one as of that occasion, separating from what you learned afterward, but just this initial instance. What impression did you have?

Mrs. Paine.

Almost none. There was very little contact between them during the evening. He spoke English to those that were asking them questions. She was either in the bedroom by herself trying to get the little baby to go to sleep,