Warren Commission (11 of 26): Hearings Vol. XI (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (11 of 26): Hearings Vol. XI (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Miss JAMES. I have no exact remembrance of that, but I can tell you
what my practice is. In receiving a document like this, and we have
many cases similar, I keep it some place handy, and I will check with
the Visa Office and see what they are going to do about it, and are
they going to--are they handling it. Then we follow through to see if
she is passed by the various security offices. We are aware when these
come in that a person has an exit visa. This time it was before the
exit visa, I think. Yes--well, we were trying to get this case prepared
so it wouldn't be held up in Moscow because of investigations that
might be delayed on this side.
Mr. COLEMAN. Why would you do that?
Miss JAMES. Only because it is our regular practice to expedite these
matters.
Mr. COLEMAN. Wouldn't that depend upon whether the case was meritorious
or not?
Miss JAMES. Yes; but I mean as a general thing we would expedite,
hoping it would be expedited until it its turned down. Then if it is
turned down, that is the end of it.
Mr. COLEMAN. What you are saying is that SOV just wants to make sure
that all the paperwork gets done, that you are really not making the
decisions but you don't want any decision held up on the ground that
the papers aren't there, but you have no particular interest which way
the decision would be made?
Miss JAMES. Yes; we have an interest in that. We know from our policy
what we think is good for the U.S. Government, and we would hope that
cases are handled in that framework.
Mr. COLEMAN. Would you say that there was a decision in the Oswald case
that the best thing for the United States was to get Oswald out of
Moscow, Russia, and back to the United States, even if he had renounced
his citizenship?
Miss JAMES. I can't go on that because that is a supposition, but
on the basis of the case we felt that it was better for the U.S.
Government to bring Oswald back.
Mr. COLEMAN. Who made that decision?
Miss JAMES. Again, that is our general policy. When we received this
OMV asking for an advisory opinion on Mrs. Oswald's visa application,
we already knew that the Passport Office had approved her husband's
citizenship.
Mr. COLEMAN. So you say, therefore, that once it was clear that Oswald
was still an American citizen, that you felt it was to the interests of
the United States?
Miss JAMES. Of the United States?
Mr. COLEMAN. To get him out of Russia?
Miss JAMES. To get him out of the Soviet Union, and also to bring his
family.
Mr. COLEMAN. Now, could you look in file No. VIII of the State
Department, Document No. 21. Is that a telegram?
Miss JAMES. No; that is a wire.
Mr. COLEMAN. Would you read what it says? Will you describe to whom it
is sent and tell me what it means?
Miss JAMES. It says, it is addressed to the American Embassy in Moscow
and refers to this request for an advisory opinion----
Mr. COLEMAN. It has typed thereon: SOV, Miss James. You signed it,
didn't you?
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