Miss James. Well, I would have considered, reading it today, that this is an urgent telegram from the Embassy in Moscow wanting some action from the Department, and I would have made the call to try to get done what the Embassy was pleading for, action one way or the other on this case.
Mr. Coleman. Did you clear this with anybody else within the office?
Miss James. There is nothing to clear on this, only that I called to find out—I might well have talked to Mr. Owen about this telegram. I am sure he saw it. The general routing is for telegrams to go through the officer in charge to the person who handles the specific subject, but it has been a part of my duty to have called them to——
Mr. Coleman. And you say that as a result of getting the telegram from Moscow, that you without consulting with anybody else in the office would call and find out the status?
Miss James. I wouldn't have to have any further instruction on that telegram.
Mr. Coleman. I would then like to show you a document which has been marked as Commission—James Exhibit No. 7 which is a telegram to the American Embassy in Moscow, dated May 8, 1962, and ask you whether you sent that telegram.
(The document referred to was marked James Exhibit No. 7 for identification.)
Miss James. That telegram was sent by the Visa Office of the Department, and was apparently cleared by me telephonically and initialed by Mr. Crump as having cleared with me over the telephone.
Mr. Coleman. Oh, I see, Mr. Crump is in the Visa Office?
Miss James. Yes; now this gives me a lead to another paper back there, where I said I had not seen it. It had Mr. Owen's initials or some initials, which I couldn't identify.