Mr. Rankin. What was his name?
Mrs. Oswald. Yuri Mereginsky.
Mr. Rankin. Do you know by what name Lee Oswald was introduced to you?
Mrs. Oswald. Everyone there called him Alec, at his place of work, because Lee is an unusual, cumbersome name. For Russians it was easier—this was easier.
Mr. Rankin. Is Alec a name close to Lee, as far as the Russian language is concerned?
Mrs. Oswald. A little. Somewhat similar.
Mr. Rankin. Did you know that Lee Oswald was an American when you first met him?
Mrs. Oswald. I found that out at the end of that party, towards the end of that party, when I was first introduced to him, I didn't know that.
Mr. Rankin. Did that make any difference?
Mrs. Oswald. It was more interesting, of course. You don't meet Americans very often.