Mr. McVickar. Yes; for tourist visas they do, and in fact they can go and get their visas at travel agencies. But it still takes a little time ordinarily to arrange it.
Representative Ford. On page 3 of your memorandum of April 7, 1964, paragraph 8, you say:
"My impression was that in the Soviet Union such a privilege would not have been usual."
You are referring, of course, to the allegations made that he had been a member of a rifle club and did target shooting?
Mr. McVickar. Yes.
Representative Ford. Why do you have that impression?
Mr. McVickar. Well, I was thinking particularly in terms of his having been a foreigner, and of course strictly on the assumption that he did belong to a rifle club, and I don't know that to be a fact.
Representative Ford. Let's assume the fact that he did.
Mr. McVickar. Yes; and this again is only based on the impression that I gathered from such contacts as I may have had while I was there, and I had the impression that sporting activities in the Soviet Union are organized as a part of the state effort, and that there might have to be some good purpose to be served by the state for a person to participate in such a club.
And that the usual purpose would be international competition, and that people who are sportsmen in the Soviet Union generally do this, they are given time off from their work to do this kind of thing.