Oswald was well dressed and very neat appearing when he came in. I don't recall whether he was wearing a suit and shirt and tie. But at any rate, his appearance impressed me at the time. And I recall that he looked very presentable.
He was very curt, very proper. At no time did he insult me or anything of that sort personally. He was just proper, but extremely curt.
Representative Ford. Did he just walk in the door and you were seated at your desk? What was the way in which you first spoke to one another?
Mr. Snyder. I don't recall whether he was ushered into my office by the secretary or one of the employees, or whether I was told that there was someone waiting for me outside, and I went and got him. It is unlikely that he walked into the offices, because he would have had to walk through two other offices to get to mine.
Well, he stated—he gave me a written statement, which is in the record, almost immediately upon his arrival, I believe.
Representative Ford. That is Commission Exhibit No. 913.
Mr. Snyder. He stated in effect that he had come to the Soviet Union to live in the Soviet Union, that he desired to renounce his American citizenship, though I don't think he used the word "renounce"—I think he used another word—but that he desired to renounce his American citizenship. That his allegiance was to the Soviet Union.
I think initially this was pretty much what his statement was. And would I please do what was necessary to get this over with.
Well, during this period of the interview, as far as I recall, he was standing. And he may have seated himself some time later in it. But I think for the initial part of the interview, he remained standing and declined to take a seat.
When I began to question him, he then rejoined with words to the effect, "I know what" or "I have been told what you are going to ask me, you are going to try to talk me out of this, and don't waste your time, please let's get on with the business."