But, also, I would not have expected him to receive it that early in the game. I mean, for one thing the Supreme Soviet does not act on these things on a continuing basis, but acts upon them periodically.
Representative Ford. En masse, so to speak?
Mr. Snyder. That is right. It has them on its calendar. So many times a year it acts on petitions for Soviet citizenship, presumably.
Presumably before it is sent to the Supreme Soviet with a favorable recommendation by the various Government organs, a thorough investigation is made by MVD and other organs, and various officials presumably at different levels have got to stick their necks out and recommend he be accepted—that sort of thing.
Representative Ford. If you had known that Oswald was in Minsk, what would your reaction have been?
Mr. Snyder. Serves him right.
Representative Ford. Why do you say that?
Mr. Snyder. You have never been in Minsk.
Well, in the first place, my own feeling is that there is no better medicine for someone who imagines he likes the Soviet Union than to live there awhile.
Representative Ford. In Minsk?