1961—which is 8 weeks—I received a letter from the State Department informing me of my son's address.
Mr. Rankin. Do you recall that they assured you there was no evidence he was an agent?
Mrs. Oswald. No, sir, there was no comment to that effect.
Mr. Rankin. And they told you to dismiss any such ideas from your mind?
Mrs. Oswald. No, sir.
Mr. Rankin. You are sure they didn't tell you that?
Mrs. Oswald. I am positive. I said to them, "Of course, I don't expect you to answer me." No, sir, there was nothing mentioned about the agent at all. And in fact, I would think, just as a layman, that the State Department would not even consider discussing that with me. But I mean it was not discussed. I am positive of that.
Mr. Rankin. If they recorded in a memorandum as of that date that they did say that to you, that would be incorrect?
Mrs. Oswald. That is incorrect, emphatically incorrect. That is incorrect. Because I said, "I don't expect you to tell me. But if he is an agent," I didn't think it was the thing to do.
Well, on January 21 was my trip to Washington, 1961. Approximately 8 weeks later, on March 22, 1961, I received a letter from the State Department informing me of my son's address, which you probably have, if you don't, sir, I have the copies. And also stating that my son wishes to return back to the United States—just 8 weeks after my trip to Washington.
Now, you want to know why I think my son is an agent. And I have been telling you all along.
Here is a very important thing why my son was an agent. On March 22 I receive a letter of his address and stating that my son wishes to return back to the United States. You have that, sir?
Mr. Rankin. Yes.
Mrs. Oswald. On April 30, 1961, he marries a Russian girl—approximately 5 weeks later.
Now, why does a man who wants to come back to the United States, 5 weeks later—here is the proof—April 30, 1961, is the wedding date—marry a Russian girl? Because I say—and I may be wrong—the U.S. Embassy has ordered him to marry this Russian girl. And a few weeks later, May 16, 1961, he is coming home with the Russian girl. And as we know, he does get out of the Soviet Union with the Russian girl, with money loaned to him by the U.S. Embassy. I may be wrong, gentlemen, but two on two in my books makes four.
I have many more things that can go to this, and that has been published. I will probably never know whether my son was an agent, because I do not expect to be told these facts. But isn't it peculiar that a boy is coming home, and the Embassy informs me of that—I have all this, Mr. Rankin, and you know I do. You will have the copies. And then 5 weeks later he marries a Russian girl. And the proof of it is that he does come home with the Russian girl in a short length of time. And Lee would have been home 1 year earlier. But because of the lack of money to come home.
Mr. Rankin. Did you ever ask him whether he married the Russian girl because they ordered him to?
Mrs. Oswald. No, sir. I have never asked Lee any questions of that kind. The only question I asked Lee was when they were living with me that 1 month, I said, "Lee, I want to know one thing. Why is it you came back to the United States when you had a job and you were married to a Russian girl," and they sent me lovely gifts and photographs and everything. So they seemed to be well off.
I have a beautiful scarf—they sent tea, boxes of candy, which the postage is terrific. He says, "not even Marina knows that." And that is the only question I have ever asked my son. This may be hard to believe. But I have explained to you over and over that I think we, as individuals, have a right to our own life.
Mr. Rankin. You saw your daughter-in-law and your son living together with you, didn't you, for some time?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes. They lived with me 1 month.
Mr. Rankin. Did you think they were in love with each other?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, they were definitely in love with each other. Yes, I think they were in love with each other.
Mr. Rankin. Did you think at that time it was just because he was an agent and ordered to marry her that he married her?
Mrs. Oswald. No. I would say this. This is purely speculation. He knew Marina, and he loved Marina. They met at a dance. So that was—he had a girl friend. We are saying if he is an agent—I have to say "if." Then he tells the Embassy that he is in love with a Russian girl. And so it is a good idea to bring the Russian girl to the United States. He will have contacts.
Now, when I was in Mrs. Paine's home, on the table was a lot of papers from Lee. The Daily Worker I happen to know about. And many, many subversive—now, I say if Lee is going to assassinate a President, or Lee is anything that he is otherwise than an agent, Lee would not have all these things, he would not have his finger in everything.
He would not be reading only communism and Marxism, that he would be a fanatic about that one thing and have a cause to assassinate the President.
But that is not the picture of Lee Harvey Oswald. Lee has his hand in everything.
Mr. Rankin. What do you mean by everything?
Mrs. Oswald. Well, Cuba—because we know in New Orleans he was arrested for Fair Play for Cuba. He read the Daily Worker. And the other ones I don't know. But it was in the paper. There is plenty of subversive material.
Mr. Rankin. What about books? Did he read books much while he was living with you?
Mrs. Oswald. Yes, he read continuously. He went immediately to the library upon coming to the United States. He read continuously. All kinds of books. I tried, when he defected—I went to the library to find out the kind of literature that Lee read. But they could not give me that information. They said the only way they could give that information was when a book was overdue, and was out. But otherwise they have no record.
Now, it has been stated in the paper—maybe New Orleans is different, I don't know, but I know in Fort Worth I could not get the information. Stated he had books—the assassination of Huey Long and things of that sort. They must have a different system. Because in Fort Worth, Tex., they do not have that system. The only way they can tell is if a book is out. But I know Lee read. And I have stated in 1959 all of this.
Anyway, from Vincent Peale on down to anything you want to mention. Lee read continuously.
Mr. Rankin. Now, was there any time that Marina said anything to you to lead you to believe that she thought your son, Lee, married her because he was an agent?
Mrs. Oswald. No, sir, no, sir. Not at any time at all.
Mr. Rankin. You think she loved him?
Mrs. Oswald. I believe that Marina loved him in a way. But I believe that Marina wanted to come to America. I believe that Lee had talked America to her, and she wanted to come to America. I say this for a lot of little things that happened—that Marina wanted to come to America. Maybe she loved him. I am sure she did, anyway. She said that she did.
Mr. Rankin. I am not clear about this being ordered to marry her. You don't mean that your son didn't love her.
Mrs. Oswald. Well, I could mean that—if he is an agent, and he has a girl friend, and it is to the benefit
