Mr. Dulles. The first time you had ever seen him?
Mr. Paine. The first time I had seen him or at least that first night.
He told me he had decided, that he had wanted, to come back to this country and it was through the fortunate circumstance of the Embassy still having his passport which was a legal loophole that made it legally possible, and I asked him—at sometime I thought this was rather nice that the State Department, I think this was a little later in the same evening, the State Department had forewarned him, had granted him money also, to come back.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he tell you that?
Mr. Paine. He told me that and I was rather proud of the State Department for its generous behavior toward such a wayward citizen. He actually had spoken—I had mentioned this because he had spoken abusively of the American Government.
Mr. Liebeler. At this time, during the first meeting?
Mr. Paine. Not just the American Government—yes; at this same meeting. He had spoken with abuse of, sort of resentment that they didn't let him have his passport and I thought, well now, that was just kind of a nice trick, by having a consular official there that he knew, this man wanted to change his mind, this little legal dodge of not wanting to give him his passport which I think is illegal if the man wants it, it would be the thing to permit him to come back.
Mr. Liebeler. Did you point that out to Lee Oswald?
Mr. Paine. Yes; I did.
Mr. Liebeler. What did he say?