And, secondly, I do not think they have the same role internally that our Red Cross organizations do.

Mr. Dulles.

Have you heard of it being used in other instances for what might be called extraneous payments--that is, payments not related to Red Cross work?

Mr. Snyder.

No, sir.

Representative Ford.

Is there a policy that you were familiar with, as far as the Soviet Union was concerned, for permitting a person to apply for and be given Soviet citizenship?

Mr. Snyder.

Oh, yes; there is a well-defined way of acquiring Soviet citizenship under Soviet law.

Representative Ford.

Was Oswald familiar with that, as you could tell from your conversation with him?

Mr. Snyder.

Well, he obviously was familiar with what one does. That is, he had made application to the Supreme Soviet, which is what one does.

Representative Ford.

Did he tell you that?

Mr. Snyder.

Oh, yes.

Representative Ford.

He did?

Mr. Snyder.

Yes, sir; this is not something which is common knowledge. One would have to have inquired and found out, and had someone show you or give you the proper form on which to make application, and tell you where to address it, and this sort of thing.

Representative Ford.

What did he tell you had happened when he did that?

Mr. Snyder.

All he said was that he had made application.

Representative Ford.

He didn't indicate the application had been processed and approved?

Mr. Snyder.

No; I cannot recall what our conversation was on that score. It was quite clear that he had not received Soviet citizenship.
But, also, I would not have expected him to receive it that early in the game. I mean, for one thing the Supreme Soviet does not act on these things on a continuing basis, but acts upon them periodically.

Representative Ford.

En masse, so to speak?

Mr. Snyder.

That is right. It has them on its calendar. So many times a year it acts on petitions for Soviet citizenship, presumably.
Presumably before it is sent to the Supreme Soviet with a favorable recommendation by the various Government organs, a thorough investigation is made by MVD and other organs, and various officials presumably at different levels have got to stick their necks out and recommend he be accepted--that sort of thing.

Representative Ford.

If you had known that Oswald was in Minsk, what would your reaction have been?

Mr. Snyder.

Serves him right.

Representative Ford.

Why do you say that?

Mr. Snyder.

You have never been in Minsk.
Well, in the first place, my own feeling is that there is no better medicine for someone who imagines he likes the Soviet Union than to live there awhile.

Representative Ford.

In Minsk?

Mr. Snyder.

Any place.

Representative Ford.

I am more particularly interested in Minsk.

Mr. Snyder.

But provincial towns in the Soviet Union are a very large step below the capital, and the capital, believe me, is a fairly good-sized step down from any American populated place.
But the difference between large cities and minor cities, and between minor cities and villages, is a tremendous step backward in time. And to live in Minsk, or any other provincial city in the Soviet Union, is a pretty grim experience to someone who has lived in our society--not necessarily American, but simply in western society. It might be just the same if he lived in Denmark, or some place. I mean to land up in Minsk, working in a grubby little little factory is quite a comedown.

Representative Ford.

Have you ever been in Minsk?

Mr. Snyder.

I spent about an hour walking around Minsk, between trains, one time.