Oswald wrote to Arnold Johnson of the Communist Party, U.S.A., that on the evening of October 23, he had attended an “ultra right” meeting headed by Gen. Edwin A. Walker.[A13-1249] Two evenings later, he accompanied Michael Paine to a meeting of the American Civil Liberties Union, held at Southern Methodist University.[A13-1250] At this meeting, a statement was made to the effect that members of the John Birch Society should not be considered anti-Semitic; Oswald rose and stated that at the meeting which he had attended 2 days earlier, he had heard a number of anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic statements. Later in the evening, Oswald became involved in a discussion with several people, including Frank Krystinik, who was employed with Paine at the Bell Helicopter plant. During this conversation, Oswald expressed Marxist views and declared that he was a Marxist, although denying that he was a Communist. He admitted that the United States was superior to the Soviet Union in the area of civil liberties and praised President Kennedy for his work in that connection.[A13-1251] Krystinik testified that he got the impression that Oswald did not fully understand the views he was expounding.[A13-1252]
Throughout that week Oswald telephoned his wife to inquire about her health and that of the baby. He spent the weekend at the Paine home, to which Marina and Rachel had returned during the week.[A13-1253] On Friday, November 1, he obtained post office box No. 6225 at the Terminal Annex Post Office Station. He indicated that the box would also be used to receive mail for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee and the American Civil Liberties Union.[A13-1254] Once again he spent the weekend in Irving.[A13-1255]
Throughout this period, the FBI had been aware of the whereabouts of the Oswalds. There was a record in the Dallas office of the FBI that Oswald subscribed to the Worker, engaged in Fair Play for Cuba Committee activities and had traveled to Mexico.[A13-1256] An FBI agent visited the Paine home on November 1 and, accompanied by another agent, again on November 5, and spoke briefly with Mrs. Paine. On neither occasion was Oswald present.[A13-1257] Ruth Paine noted the agent’s name and telephone number and, in accordance with her husband’s instructions, Marina noted the license number of the agent’s automobile, all of which was subsequenty reported to Oswald.[A13-1258] Both Mrs. Paine and Marina testified that Oswald was troubled by the FBI’s interest in him.[A13-1259] He declared that the FBI was “trying to inhibit” his activities,[A13-1260] and wrote the Soviet Embassy in Washington:
The Federal Bureu of Investigation is not now interested in my activities in the progressive organization “Fair Play for Cuba Committee” of which I was secretary in New Orleans (state Louisiana) since I no longer reside in that state. However, the F.B.I. has visted us here in Dallas, Texas, on November 1st. Agent James P. Hasty warned me that if I engaged in F.P.C.C. activities in Texas the F.B.I. will again take an “interest” in me.
This agent also ‘suggested’ to Marina Nichilayeva that she could remain in the United States under F.B.I. ‘protection’, that is, she could defect from the Soviet Uion, of couse, I and my wife strongly protested these tactics by the notorious F.B.I.
Please inform us of the arrival of our Soviet entrance visa’s as soon as they come.[A13-1261] (See Commission Exhibit 15, [p. 311].)
Marina testified that the statements, both by and to the FBI agents, to which her husband referred in this letter, were in fact never made.[A13-1262]
The following Friday, November 8, Oswald as usual drove to the Paine house with Frazier.[A13-1263] On Saturday Mrs. Paine took him to the Texas Drivers’ License Examining Station, but because it was an election day the station was closed. Oswald stayed at the Paines through Monday, November 11, which was Veterans Day. During the weekend, Mrs. Paine gave Oswald a second driving lesson.[A13-1264]
Oswald did not go to Irving on the next weekend. His wife had asked him not to come because Michael Paine, with whom Oswald did not get along, would be there to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Also, she felt that because he had stayed for 3 days the preceding weekend, he would abuse Mrs. Paine’s hospitality if he returned so soon. Oswald telephoned Marina on Saturday afternoon and said that he had returned to the drivers’ license examining station that morning but had not waited because there was a long line.[A13-1265]
On Sunday, November 17, at Marina’s request, Ruth Paine telephoned Oswald at the Beckley Avenue number, which he had given to Marina. When she asked for him, she was told that no one by that name lived at the address, which greatly surprised her. On the next day, Oswald telephoned his wife. When she indicated that she had been upset by the fact that there had been no Lee Oswald at the number which she had asked Mrs. Paine to call, Oswald became angry; he said that he was using a fictitious name and that she should not have called the Beckley Avenue number.[A13-1266] He did not telephone on the following day, which was unusual.[A13-1267]
On the morning of Thursday, November 21, Oswald asked Frazier to take him to Irving when he went home that evening, saying that he wanted to pick up some curtain rods.[A13-1268] His arrival was a surprise because he generally asked Mrs. Paine’s permission before arriving for a visit.[A13-1269] The women thought that he had come to Irving because he felt badly about arguing with his wife about the use of the fictitious name.[A13-1270] He said that he was lonely, because he had not come the preceding weekend, and told Marina that he “wanted to make his peace” with her.[A13-1271] He spent the time before dinner on the lawn playing with his daughter.[A13-1272] However, when he attempted to talk to his wife she would not answer, which upset him. He asked her to live with him in Dallas, and she refused.[A13-1273] After supper, Oswald watched television while the women cleaned the house and prepared their children for bed.[A13-1274] He retired early in the evening at about 9.[A13-1275]