Mr. Fain. Well, I felt in the second interview he was more relaxed, and I felt he answered the questions more readily and with less evasion.
However, he still didn't seem to want to go into the reasons why he went over there in the first place, and why he wouldn't do it. Evidently he had his own reasons for giving those answers. I don't know whether he just wanted to be—maybe he was just inherently insolent, and that is just typical of his personality is all I could figure out.
Mr. Stern. Will you tell us again the purpose of your investigation, what you were after.
Mr. Fain. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether or not he had been contacted by the Soviet intelligence agencies, whether he had been given an assignment or not, whether they had made any deal with him, and whether, as a demand, for permitting his wife to accompany him—you see, for a long time, they told him he couldn't take her apparently, and there was quite a period that he was waiting to get her, and he refused to come back to the United States unless his wife came back with him. We wanted to find out whether or not the Soviets had demanded anything of him in return for letting her come on over.
Mr. Stern. As to that, had you formed a conclusion, after the second interview?
Mr. Fain. As to—on that point?
Mr. Stern. Yes.
Mr. Fain. Well he answered it and said, "No." He played it down all the way through. In other words, that was the main purpose we were talking to him, was to try to ascertain that point. He downgraded it all the way through, and belittled himself. He said, "I was not that important."
Mr. Stern. Was your recommendation that this case be closed, a recommendation that indicates that you had reached a conclusion on the question of your investigation?
Mr. Fain. Yes, sir; even though he was arrogant and cold, from his answers, I couldn't see any potential for danger or violence at that point.