Mr. Clark. Yes.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he indicate to you that he had studied the Russian language while in the Marines?
Mr. Clark. He indicated he had because I asked him how he learned to speak Russian and he said he studied while in the Marines and learned a lot more when he went to Russia but apparently, he studied it quite awhile before he left.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he tell you whether he took any formal courses or whether this was private effort?
Mr. Clark. He did not indicate but it was my impression it was more or less self-study and he stated that when he got his discharge from the Marines that he went—I said, "How did you get a visa; how did you get to Russia?" He said very simple; he just went down, made application to get a visa and what he had to do was to put up so much money for some kind of tour and at the same time when he put up this money for his passage, why, he got his visa stamped and he said he went to Russia, and the minute he got to Russia, he went to the American Embassy and told them he wanted to renounce his citizenship and he turned in his passport and he went to see about becoming a Soviet citizen and they told him they couldn't do it but they gave him a work permit.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he tell you why the Russians would not accept him as a Russian citizen?
Mr. Clark. No; he didn't say. He indicated he had to stay there a length of time before he could become a citizen and he already secured a work permit card and they assigned him an apartment and he said because he was a marine he got a better apartment. He got an apartment with a washstand and he was quite proud of the fact he got a little better apartment than the normal working person there.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he tell you where he was sent to work?
Mr. Clark. He did and I think it was in Minsk or some place; I don't remember exactly. He told me the name of the town; it was wherever Marina came from. I have forgotten which one it was.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he tell you any more details about his relations with the American Embassy and the Soviet authorities when he first came to the Soviet Union?