Mr. Snyder. But why the Soviet Union and not Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria?
Mr. Dulles. I said the Communist countries, I think, before. I certainly would not do it for Britain, France, and friendly countries. There is no point.
Mr. Snyder. This would involve a clerical job of major magnitude which from the Embassy's point of view I don't see that it would serve any purpose.
Mr. Dulles. Well, if a young man 20 years old just out of the Marines says he is going to the Soviet Union, isn't that of some significance?
Mr. Snyder. Not necessarily. I mean in terms of the thousands of people—thousands of Americans who flutter back and forth across the face of the earth——
Mr. Dulles. I am not talking about people floating back and forth across the earth. I am talking about people going to the Soviet Union.
Mr. Snyder. In other words, if I had looked at Oswald's application at the time he made it, knowing nothing else about it than he had just gotten out of the Marines, I would not think it was so terribly unusual, or of great interest to me that this young boy is taking a trip to a number of western European countries, including the Soviet Union. Nor would there be anything in such knowledge which would in any way I think trigger any action on my part.
Mr. Dulles. Do you have any special instructions other than the ones that you have referred to about the handling of those that renounce their citizenship, or have you covered that, do you think, quite fully? Are there any special instructions that the Embassy in Moscow prescribed?
Mr. Snyder. No.
Mr. Dulles. There are none?