Mr. Liebeler.

Some prominent school?

Mr. Bouhe.

Yes. The grandmother was a graduate, and she gave me the name, which is a top school. And when you come out of that school as a young girl, you are polished--Smolny Institute for Noble Girls.
And also, Marina said, that the contact with her grandmother influenced her a little bit on the study of religion. And whether she believes or does not, I do not know, but she was not an agnostic, in her words. What is in her soul, I don't know.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you form an impression as to the girl's character of Marina Oswald throughout the time that you knew her?

Mr. Bouhe.

Yes; I did.

Mr. Liebeler.

What do you think of her general character? Tell us about that.
Let me ask you to confine your answer first, Mr. Bouhe, to the judgments about Marina that you had formed prior to the time of the assassination, and then I will ask you if you changed those judgments or amplified them after the event of the assassination.
But first of all, tell us your general impression of Marina Oswald as you thought of her prior to November 22, 1963.

Mr. Bouhe.

All right, and essentially what I will say is prior to about December 28, 1962, because I have not met any of them since.
It seemed to me that she was a lost soul, as I understood without investigating the girl, no papa, no mama, no home, I don't know who they were brought up by probably an old grandmother, born perhaps at the time of the greatest holocaust that existed there from 1941, 1942, and 1943, when Leningrad was surrounded by Germans and there was a great deal of privation, hunger, and, I heard, even cannibalism.
Maybe she was thinking that this is an awful place and she would have to do whatever she could to get out.
Maybe she was partly influenced by her grandmother who, I would say, is of the old school, but I don't know.
And I think she must have been looking for that opportunity which presented itself in Minsk.
So I think she is a very thinking person, but what her ultimate goal was or is, I cannot guess even now.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you tell the FBI that you thought Marina was a product of the Soviet machine and that all initiative had been removed from her?

Mr. Bouhe.

I certainly don't remember if I said that, those specific words, but that is what I believe. If you are educated by the Soviet regime, in their schools, I think you don't think anything of your own, which is substantially what I said, isn't it, or is it not?

Mr. Liebeler.

Yes; she had had all initiative removed from her.

Mr. Bouhe.

Except a romantic initiative to get a man and do something about it.

Mr. Liebeler.

Now, did you change your opinion or did you expand your opinion of Marina Oswald upon reflection after the assassination occurred?

Mr. Bouhe.

I could only add that I probably think her a person of exceedingly strong character to go through that very sad set of events without going berserk. She has a character. Now whether it is directed in the right thing or not, I don't know. I want to say, I think she is good material to become a useful citizen, but to figure out a woman, I do not volunteer as an expert.

Mr. Liebeler.

During the period in October and November of 1962, when, as I recall it, Marina and Lee Oswald were having a certain amount of marital trouble or difficulties, did you say that you gained Marina's confidence about those matters?

Mr. Bouhe.

Not I.

Mr. Liebeler.

She didn't tell you about her marital difficulties with Oswald?

Mr. Bouhe.

No; she talked to other people who told me.

Mr. Liebeler.

Who were these other women?

Mr. Bouhe.

Well, certainly to Anna Meller.

Mr. Liebeler.

Mrs. Ford?

Mr. Bouhe.

Mrs. Ford, undoubtedly.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you think she confided in Anna Ray to any extent?