Mr. Bouhe.

Well, I don't know what the occasions were or the number of them, but he certainly must have gone to apply at the American Embassy in Moscow at some period of time to return.

Mr. Liebeler.

But he didn't tell you that, as far as you can recall?

Mr. Bouhe.

I do not recall.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Oswald mention that he had received any training while he was in the Soviet Union? That he had gone to school or received any special train from the Soviet Government of any kind?

Mr. Bouhe.

I do not recall anything, any statement by him on that subject.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he tell you that he had been in the hospital while he was in the Soviet Union?

Mr. Bouhe.

No.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you speak to Oswald in the Russian language from time to time?

Mr. Bouhe.

Yes; I did.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you form an impression as to his command of that language?

Mr. Bouhe.

Yes.

Mr. Liebeler.

What was that impression?

Mr. Bouhe.

A very strange assortment of words. Grammatically not perfect, but an apparent ease to express himself in that language.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you know when you knew Oswald how long he had been in the Soviet Union, approximately?

Mr. Bouhe.

That I knew from a clipping which I have at home, from the Fort Worth newspaper, yes, which first brought the name of Oswald before my eyes sometime in June 1962. And that story said the Fort Worth boy returns after so many years, and so on.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Oswald's command of the Russian language seem to be about what you would expect from him, having been in Russia for that period of time? Would you say it was good?

Mr. Bouhe.

I would say very good.

Mr. Liebeler.

You think he had a good command of the language, considering the amount of time he had spent in Russia?

Mr. Bouhe.

Sir, for everyday conversations, yes. But I think that if I would have asked him to write, I would think he would have difficulty.

Mr. Liebeler.

When did you get the impression that he received any special training in the Russian language while he was in the Soviet Union?

Mr. Bouhe.

Never heard of it.

Mr. Liebeler.

You did not get that impression?

Mr. Bouhe.

I did not get it, but back in the old country, in the good old days in St. Petersburg, which was cosmopolitan, everybody spoke French--well, some from in school and some from governesses and some from trips to Paris, and that is supposed to be the best way to learn the language, so I would say from my estimate of the caliber of his language is that he picked it up by ear from Marina, other girls, or from factory workers.

Mr. Liebeler.

You also conversed with Marina in Russian, did you not?

Mr. Bouhe.

Oh, yes; she is very good, I must say, to my great amazement.

Mr. Liebeler.

Much better than Oswald? Was Marina's command of the Russian language better than what you would have expected, based on her education?

Mr. Bouhe.

Yes.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you ever ask her how she came to have such a good command of the language?

Mr. Bouhe.

Well, I did not ask her in the form of a question. I complimented her, because most of the displaced persons whom we met here who went through wars and mixtures and Germany and French speak a very, very broken unpolished Russian, which I tried to perfect.
And I complimented her on that. You are speaking in amazingly grammatical-maybe I said, I don't know---correct language.
And she said, "My grandmother who raised me I don't know what period--She was an educated woman. She went to--- and she gave me a school for noble girls." Something like, I don't how--are you a Dallas man--perhaps Bryn Mawr.