About that time we left. The conversation wasn't interesting, and we had gone over to take this little present to the baby, and we had accomplished the purpose, so we left.
Mr. Liebeler. When was it that you discussed with Oswald the reasons why he went to Russia?
Mr. Hall. The next time was Easter, if I am getting all this straight. I hadn't been in business long for myself. I was real strong for the system of free enterprise, and I asked Oswald how he was getting along down at the printing place, and he said, "Well, he was doing as well as could be expected, except the fact was that he didn't have security in his job and didn't like the whole setup."
And I wondered why. And he said, "He didn't have security."
And I told him, "Well, nobody has security actually. We have to work and keep up with what is going on and keep getting ahead, and that it seemed to me like he could stay down there for 2 or 3 or 4 years and learn what had to be learned and open his own shop, and that he would be bettering himself and making more money and having more niceties of life.
And so the point is, with this system of free enterprise which I was real strong for, because I was trying to get ahead, and so Oswald, he told me that he was, he had already been discontent with the United States, that he didn't have security, and he really didn't know where his next job was coming from, and he heard through these theories that everything was controlled by the State in Russia, and that that was the reason he wanted to go, so to speak, and that is about it, inasfar as he was just unhappy with all of our systems.
Mr. Liebeler. Did he indicate to you that he had any desire to return to Russia?
Mr. Hall. Yes; and even at this time—in fact, I don't remember, I don't know, it was probably at Easter, he said that he wanted to go back.
And I know this to be real definite that—I don't know how you want that—because when we first heard, when my wife and I first heard from the Clarks that Oswald was in New Orleans, when he was down there word got back, I don't know how it got back, but the Clarks told us he was in New Orleans, and when we found this out, I told my wife that I knew that he was down there to catch a ship and go to Russia.
So I don't know how he said this, but he left the impression with me, or told me directly—I think it was more directly, because I know at that time he wanted to go back to Russia.