Mr. Stern.

Until the point in time when you were considering the possibility of interviewing Mrs. Oswald?

Mr. Hosty.

The only work that had been done was the work which I did in connection with the Lee Oswald case for Mr. Fain. I checked the immigration records on Marina Oswald and got her background, just put her background, her name, her description, her place of birth, and that sort of thing in the file.

Mr. Stern.

What is the difference administratively between a "pending inactive" and a "closed" case?

Mr. Hosty.

In a pending inactive case, any information coming into the office would be routed to the agent, it would not be put in the file and be missed by the agent.

Mr. Stern.

Could Lee Harvey Oswald's case have been put in a pending inactive status rather than a closed status in 1962?

Mr. Hosty.

I wasn't involved in that. Mr. Fain was the one.

Mr. Stern.

But as far as administrative procedures are concerned?

Mr. Hosty.

If they had so desired, I think they could have, yes.

Mr. Stern.

There was no policy or procedure?

Mr. Hosty.

If there was some more work to be done, if they had decided to, say, reinterview him at, say, in 6 months, they could have.

Mr. Stern.

But it would have taken something of that sort?

Mr. Hosty.

Yes; it would have to be some more work to be done on the case in the opinion of the agent.

Mr. Stern.

So that pending inactive is part of pending?

Mr. Hosty.

It is sort of midway between.

Mr. Stern.

Only the work you have decided to do is more remote?

Mr. Hosty.

Right.

Mr. Stern.

More in the future?

Mr. Hosty.

Right.

Mr. Stern.

You say that you were considering interviewing Marina Oswald?

Mr. Hosty.

Right.

Mr. Stern.

Did you know that she did not speak English?

Mr. Hosty.

Yes; I knew that. In fact, I determined that when I did the neighborhood check on the 3d of March.
Mrs. Tobias told me that she didn't speak a word of English and couldn't communicate with anybody except her husband who spoke Russian.

Mr. Stern.

I show you a report of four pages, marked "Report of James P. Hosty, Jr."

Mr. Hosty.

Right.

Mr. Stern.

Dated 9-10-63.

Mr. Hosty.

Right.

Mr. Stern.

And marked for identification Commission Exhibit No. 829.
(The document referred to was marked Commission Exhibit No. 829 for identification.)

Mr. Stern.

Can you identify that report for us?

Mr. Hosty.

Yes, sir; that is my report.

Mr. Stern.

Tell us how you came to prepare this report?

Mr. Hosty.

Well, as I told you earlier, in May I found that they had left, Marina and Lee Oswald had apparently left the Dallas area.
In June, I believe it was the middle of June, we received a communication from our New Orleans office advising that one Lee Oswald, was apparently in New Orleans, and requested information on him. They had had previous correspondence with the Dallas office in connection with the Lee Oswald case, as an auxiliary office, and we are aware that we did have a case on him. They asked if this could be the same man, and I wrote back and told them that Lee Oswald had left the Dallas area, and for them to attempt to verify the presence of Lee Oswald and Marina Oswald in New Orleans.

Mr. Stern.

This was at what time, Mr. Hosty?

Mr. Hosty.

This was June 17, I believe, they notified us, and by the time I got the letter back to them within a week or 2 it would have been the end of June, early part of July. I sent a request back that they verify his presence in New Orleans. They then wrote back a letter to me, within 2 or 3 weeks. It