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
Mr. SEELEY. The mother; yes. And we felt that the mails shouldn't be
trusted for a U.S. passport which we know has a value outside the
United States.
Mr. COLEMAN. Now, you also indicated in the memorandum that, "We should
not be bound by the opinion he expressed in paragraph 2 of his letter
set out in Moscow Despatch No. 985 of February 28, 1961."
Mr. SEELEY. May I get that? It is No. 585. The paragraph that we are
referring to reads: "I desire to return to the United States, that is
if we could come to some agreement concerning the dropping of any legal
proceedings against me. If so, then I would be free to ask the Russian
authorities to allow me to leave. If I could show them my American
passport, I am of the opinion they would give me an exit visa."
The item in the memorandum concerns itself mainly with his request for
agreement concerning the dropping of any legal proceedings against him.
Mr. COLEMAN. You indicated that the Department ought not to give such
agreement.
Mr. SEELEY. Yes.
Mr. COLEMAN. Did you have any discussions with Mr. Johnson with respect
to this March 31, 1961, memorandum?
Mr. SEELEY. Yes, sir. I don't have a complete recollection of it, but
I do know that I did discuss this particular item, particularly the
mailing of the passport, with Mr. Johnson.
Mr. COLEMAN. And do you recall what Mr. Johnson said?
Mr. SEELEY. I think Mr. Johnson was the one that instructed me to draft
this so that we would not send this through the mail, so that the
passport would not be sent through the mail.
Mr. COLEMAN. After the memorandum of March 31, 1961, and this
discussion you had with Mr. Johnson, what did you do?
Mr. SEELEY. I am sorry?
Mr. COLEMAN. Did you draft the instructions in the form that they
actually went forward?
Mr. SEELEY. No, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. Did you have anything to do with that?
Mr. SEELEY. No, sir; except I think there is a clearance, but I am not
sure about that. I think we cleared it.
Mr. COLEMAN. And the instructions that actually went forward did
indicate that they ought not to return the passport by mail?
Mr. SEELEY. Yes, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. What was the date of that instruction?
Mr. SEELEY. The instruction that went forward?
Mr. COLEMAN. Yes.
Mr. SEELEY. That was AE-173, of April 13, 1961. It is Department X-38.
Mr. COLEMAN. Will the record show that that document has already been
marked as Commission Exhibit No. 971 before the Commission. You say
that you read Commission Exhibit No. 971 and cleared it before it went
forward?
Mr. SEELEY. Yes, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. Exhibit No. 971 which you referred to as X-38 shows on the
left-hand side that there is a notation that a copy of the instructions
was sent to the CIA.
Mr. SEELEY. Was furnished to the CIA.
Mr. COLEMAN. Was that done at the same time the instructions went
forward?
Mr. SEELEY. No, sir.
Mr. COLEMAN. Did you have anything to do with sending it to the CIA?
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