Mr. Ballen.

I would say about equal.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you have any discussion with Oswald concerning politics?

Mr. Ballen.

Not in addition to what I have already alluded, to, parenthetically.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did Oswald tell you anything about his educational background? About where he had gone to grade school or high school and that sort of thing?

Mr. Ballen.

I am sure I questioned him on that, and the ultimate conclusion I came to was that he left--that he lacked educational training.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he tell you that he had been employed by a newspaper in New Orleans?

Mr. Ballen.

I think he told me that his knowledge of reproduction facilities had been refreshened by recent employment in New Orleans, and the in the photographic field, but this employment, I thought in New Orleans, would have been in a printing shop rather than a newspaper.

Mr. Liebeler.

Can you remember any of the details of what he told you about his activities in New Orleans?

Mr. Ballen.

That would have been the only reference to New Orleans, and he said nothing whatsoever about any involvement with any Cuban committees or anything like that. I would have the feeling that this was a man who was at that stage a political, had no involvement with any Communist group, that he washed his hands pretty much of anyone or any part of the political spectrum.

Mr. Liebeler.

You did not know that he was a professed Marxist?

Mr. Ballen.

He may have I think I had the feeling that he, to the extent that he could define it, that he was a student of Marxism and was a critic of societies along Marxist lines.

Mr. Liebeler.

Were you led to that belief partly by his remarks about religion?

Mr. Ballen.

No; I learned that from George De Mohrenschildt, and I think Oswald would have, somewhere along the line during my interview with him, made statements to reenforce that.

Mr. Liebeler.

Do you remember what De Mohrenschildt told you about Oswald before you actually met Oswald?

Mr. Ballen.

Yes; he said that this was a very unusual situation, sir. Here is a chap who suddenly appears in the Dallas area, and that he had been to Russia, went to Russia, came back, and has no hatred either for Russia or for the United States, and is just a man with no hatred, and by gosh here he appears in the United States, having gotten out of Russia with a wife, and that this was an independent and truth seeking young man and very interesting, and George was talking to him at length in Russian, and someone just totally unlike anyone else who came back who was either very much pro and very much anti, and this is a fellow with no hatred.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did De Mohrenschildt indicate to you that Oswald had no hatred of anything?

Mr. Ballen.

That is what--De Mohrenschildt had emphasized it to me that his view of this man was that the chap wasn't getting involved with hatred and was outside the cold war on either side and his emotions connected with it.

Mr. Liebeler.

Was De Mohrenschildt's opinion borne out in your mind when you met and talked to Oswald?

Mr. Ballen.

Based on that 2-hour visit with him, to a certain extent; yes. But I would express it rather than Oswald not having hatred, that he would have had a little disdain for both sides.

Mr. Liebeler.

You did not get the impression, however, that he was emotionally involved in any significant extent with either of the two sides? Would that be a fair statement?

Mr. Ballen.

Definitely.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you also have the impression that Oswald would not be influenced against the Soviet Union by anti-Soviet Union propaganda that might be disseminated in the country?

Mr. Ballen.

Definitely he would make the decisions for himself and would consider himself much more of an expert than anyone in the United States, including our Government.

Mr. Liebeler.

You would say that Oswald would not likely be influenced by propaganda of this sort?

Mr. Ballen.

He forms his own conclusion in his own way, and he didn't