Mrs. OSWALD. I paid my membership dues regularly, and at first they didn't know who I was or what I was, but after they found out that I had married an American and was getting ready to go to the United States, I was discharged from the Comsomol. They said that I had anti-Soviet views, even though I had no anti-Soviet views of any kind. Mr. RANKIN. Do you think that they thought you had anti-Soviet views because you married an American? Mrs. OSWALD. They didn't say that. Mr. RANKIN. Did they give any reason, other than the fact that you had them? Mrs. OSWALD. They never gave that as a direct reason, because the Soviet Government was not against marrying an American. But every small official wants to keep his place, and he is afraid of any troubles. I think it was sort of insurance. Mr. RANKIN. Was there any kind of a hearing about your being let out of the Comsomol? Mrs. OSWALD. Oh, yes. Mr. RANKIN. Did you attend? Mrs. OSWALD. I didn't go there, and they discharged me without me--I was very glad. There was even a reporter there from Comsomol paper, Comsomol Pravda, I think. He tried to shame me quite strongly--for what, I don't know. And he said that he would write about this in the paper, and I told him "Go ahead and write." But he didn't write anything, because, after all, what could he write? Mr. RANKIN. Did you make any objection to being removed from the Comsomol? Mrs. OSWALD. No. Mr. RANKIN. Did you belong to any social clubs there? Mrs. OSWALD. No. Mr. RANKIN. Did you belong to any culture groups? Mrs. OSWALD. No. Mr. RANKIN. Did you go out with groups of students in the evening? Mrs. OSWALD. Of course. Mr. RANKIN. After you came to the United States, did you correspond with some of these friends? Mrs. OSWALD. Yes, but these were not the same friends. They were generally some girl friends before I was married and some friends we made later. Mr. RANKIN. Did you have a social life there at Minsk? Mrs. OSWALD. Of course. Mr. RANKIN. What did that social life consist of? Did you go to parties or to the opera or theater, or what? Mrs. OSWALD. Sometimes we met at the home of some friends. Of course we went to the opera, to the theater, to concerts, to the circus. To a restaurant. Mr. RANKIN. When did you first meet Lee Oswald? Mrs. OSWALD. The first time when I went to a dance, to a party. And there I met Lee. Mr. RANKIN. Do you recall the date? Mrs. OSWALD. On March 4th. Mr. RANKIN. What year? Mrs. OSWALD. 1961. Mr. RANKIN. Where did you meet him? Mrs. OSWALD. In Minsk. Mr. RANKIN. Yes--but can you tell us the place? Mrs. OSWALD. In the Palace of Trade Unions. Mr. RANKIN. What kind of a place is that? Is that where there are public meetings? Mrs. OSWALD. Sometimes they do have meetings there. Sometimes it is also rented by some institutes who do not have their own halls for parties. Mr. RANKIN. They have dances? Mrs. OSWALD. Yes. Every Saturday and Sunday. Mr. RANKIN. Did someone introduce you to him?