Mr. Chayes. On the other hand, the State Department has no mechanism for notifying posts abroad of ordinary travel to those countries.
Mr. Dulles. I wonder if it would not be a convenience to you if in the case, let's say, of the Soviet Union, or possibly other Communist countries, just as a routine matter they took off this note from the passport so you would have some record there if anything turned up that this fellow had said he was going to Russia. Maybe that would involve administrative work.
Mr. Snyder. I can't see what value this would be to a consul.
Mr. Dulles. Well, if a fellow got into trouble you would turn to his records alphabetically and you would find Lee Harvey Oswald in his application said he was going to go to Russia.
Mr. Snyder. You mean if he gets in trouble in Russia?
Mr. Dulles. Yes.
Mr. Snyder. If he gets in trouble in Russia, we know he is there.
Mr. Dulles. You might; you might not. They don't always tell you. You don't think that would be of any particular value, though?
Mr. Snyder. No; I don't, Mr. Dulles. Under any circumstances under which it was useful to the Embassy to know whether a person had said he was coming there, we can have the information by cable within 24 hours. So to attempt—it would seem to me—to attempt to notify embassies abroad——
Mr. Dulles. I am not saying embassies abroad. I am saying the Soviet Union.