Mr. Snyder.

then a year and a half in Tokyo. Then a summer and an academic year at Harvard, in Russian area studies.

Mr. Dulles.

In what school there?

Mr. Snyder.

In Littauer.

Mr. Dulles.

Did you learn Russian at that time?

Mr. Snyder.

No; I had had Russian in college before.

Mr. Dulles.

So you speak Russian fairly fluently?

Mr. Snyder.

Fairly fluently; yes, sir.

Mr. Dulles.

And then Moscow was your next post?

Mr. Snyder.

And then Moscow for 2 years; yes, sir.

Mr. Dulles.

What 2 years?

Mr. Snyder.

July of 1959 to July of 1961. I arrived there just before the Vice President.

Mr. Coleman.

Directing your attention, sir, to October 31, 1959, did you have occasion to see Lee Harvey Oswald on that day?

Mr. Snyder.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Coleman.

Had you ever seen him before?

Mr. Snyder.

No, sir.
(At this point, Representative Ford entered the hearing room.)

Mr. Coleman.

Had you ever heard about him before?

Mr. Snyder.

No.

Mr. Coleman.

Could you state for the Commission just what happened when you saw Mr. Oswald on October 31, 1959, indicating the time of day, what he said, and what you did?

The Chairman.

Before you answer that question, may I say that this is Congressman Ford, a member of the Commission.
This is Mr. Snyder of the State Department now stationed in Tokyo, and who was stationed at the Embassy in Moscow when Oswald attempted to defect.

Representative Ford.

Thank you.

Mr. Snyder.

Well, as for the time of day, I am afraid I draw a blank. I Can make some assumptions as to the time of day, for what they are worth.
But since I told Oswald--and you will come to this, I think, a little later on--that the Embassy was closed theoretically at the time, I presume this was a Wednesday afternoon or perhaps a Saturday afternoon, but I just don't recall.

Mr. Coleman.

For the record, I think it was a Saturday, sir.

Mr. Snyder.

Was it a Saturday?
So, at any rate if it had been a morning, I could not have used this particular approach with him. So I presume it was an afternoon.
Oswald came into the Embassy without prior announcement. He didn't call or in any other way communicate with us, to the best of my knowledge.

Mr. Dulles.

You had no way of knowing he was in Russia?

Mr. Snyder.

I had no previous knowledge of his presence; no, sir.
At any rate, he came in to me cold, so to speak. I was told that an American wanted to see me, wanted to see the consul. And I am not sure whether I went out and brought him in or whether he was taken into my office by someone else. At any rate, this was my first meeting with Oswald.
I will be glad to give you such recollections as I have as to his general demeanor and this sort of thing, if you would like.

Mr. Coleman.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Snyder.

And I might inject at this point something which I mentioned to Mr. Slawson before our session began, and that is that I reviewed the files, our own files, on Oswald, enough to refresh my memory as to the basic facts and the chronology of events and this sort of thing, but I have attempted not to go; too deeply into details with the thought that what the Commission is interested in, presumably, is what I honestly remember at the time and not so much what may have been planted in my mind by reviews since that time.
As to his general appearance, I do recall that he was neatly and very presentably dressed. I couldn't say offhand whether he was dressed in a suit and shirt, though I think probably he was. At any rate, he presented a nice physical appearance.
I presume that he was well shaven. Otherwise, I would not have had this feeling about him--that he, in general, was competent looking.