Mr. Coleman. Mr. Commissioner, he did not come back on November 3. He merely wrote a letter.
Mr. Chayes. Wrote a letter. He never came back.
Representative Ford. Are all of the employees, Mr. Snyder, Mr. McVickar, and the others who had any firsthand contact with the Oswald case in this area, were they State Department employees?
Mr. Chayes. Yes, sir; these two men who were the only ones who did see him directly, I think the secretary, their secretary also saw him, but had nothing to do with him except as a receptionist. These two men were Foreign Service officers and are now Foreign Service officers.
Representative Ford. In the strictest term.
Mr. Chayes. Yes, sir; members of the Foreign Service, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Representative Ford. Could you tell us in a bit more detail the process that you followed or the procedure that you carried out when you first got into the Oswald case.
You mentioned yesterday you got a call or you were directed by I believe the Secretary of State or by somebody in higher authority to take certain steps. Will you tell us who called you, what you did in the first 3 or 4 days?
Mr. Chayes. It was the evening of the day, perhaps about 5 o'clock on the day of the assassination. It may have been somewhat earlier, because I think I remember I went home for an hour and then came back to carry out this assignment. Mr. Ball, once it became known that Oswald had some history as a defector——
Mr. Dulles. Ball is the Under Secretary of State.