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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. V - Page 353« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Bernice Waterman)

Mr. Coleman.
Which has been given Commission Exhibit No. 970.
Miss WATERMAN. Yes.
Mr. Coleman.
And from that memorandum, you indicate that your proposed instructions were that, one, that the passport should be mailed back to Mr. Oswald only under proper safeguards----
Miss WATERMAN. Now, are you talking about what wasn't sent or what finally was?
Mr. Coleman.
The memorandum of March 31, 1961.
Miss WATERMAN. Yes; these memorandums were prepared by my superiors. In other words, this looked a little different and more important by that time.
Representative Ford.
In other words, the State Department document No. X-42 came back to you from higher authority?
Miss WATERMAN. No; I prepared the instruction, and I sent it to Mr. Kupiec, who by that time was in charge of our section--Mr. Masterton having been given other duties. And this went into the office of the Chief of our Division, of the Foreign Adjudications Division. And Mr. Cacciatore, who was the Assistant Chief of the Division, drafted a memorandum in Mr. White's name to go to Miss Knight's office, and that is a memorandum of March 31, 1961.
Mr. Coleman.
Well, that has been given Commission Exhibit No. 970. It is in your files as X-42.
Miss WATERMAN. Right.
Mr. Coleman.
And you had no part in connection with the drafting of that memorandum?
Miss WATERMAN. No, no; our branch had sent the case to our Division Chief, either to comment or authorize the mailing of the instruction which I had prepared.
Mr. Coleman.
And then after this memorandum of March 31, 1961, was drafted, a decision was finally reached in the Department as to the form of the State Department instruction which is in your file as X-38?
Miss WATERMAN. Yes.
Mr. Coleman.
And we have marked it as Commission Exhibit No. 971.
Miss WATERMAN. Yes.
Mr. Coleman.
And that is the instruction that was actually sent to the Embassy?
Miss WATERMAN. Sent to the Embassy; yes. That was a replacement of the instruction which I had originally drafted, and I redrafted that according to the dictates of the memorandums which had been exchanged with our office and Miss Knight's office.
Representative Ford.
May I ask a question here, Mr. Coleman?
On the memo of March 31, 1961, Commission Exhibit No. 970, the last sentence reads as follows: "For the best interests of the United States, therefore, and as the possession of a passport might facilitate his obtention of an exit visa it is believed that we should do everything within our power to facilitate Oswald's entry into the United States."
Who would have prepared the March 31, 1961 memo that contained that quotation?
Miss WATERMAN. That was prepared by Mr. Cacciatore, who was the Assistant Chief of the Foreign Operations Division, in which I worked. And Mr. John White was his superior, and Mr. White initialed the memo going to Miss Knight's office, to Mr. Hickey.
Mr. Dulles.
Who is Mr. Hickey?
Miss WATERMAN. Who is he?
Mr. Dulles.
I meant at this time what was his position?
Miss WATERMAN. Well, I believe at that time his title was--I wouldn't like to say definitely--I believe he was the Deputy Chief of the Passport Office.
Mr. Dulles.
Under Miss Knight?
Miss WATERMAN. Under Miss Knight, yes.
Mr. Dulles.
I would like to ask one question about X-38(2).
Mr. Coleman.
That is Commission Exhibit No. 971.
Mr. Dulles.
That is the cable sent---cable of instructions sent on the Lee Harvey Oswald matter to the American Embassy in Moscow. This relates to----
Miss WATERMAN. Now, you are talking about the State Department instruction?
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