The John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage

Navigation

  » Introduction
  » The Report
  » The Hearings

Volumes

  » Testimony Index
 
  » Volume I
  » Volume II
  » Volume III
  » Volume IV
  » Volume V
  » Volume VI
  » Volume VII
  » Volume VIII
  » Volume IX
  » Volume X
  » Volume XI
  » Volume XII
  » Volume XIII
  » Volume XIV
  » Volume XV
Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. V - Page 386« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Frances G. Knight)

Mr. Ehrlich.
Miss KNIGHT. The reports were dated October 31, 1963, and October 25, 1963, and they were logged into the Passport Office on November 20, 1963, and November 22, 1963.
Senator COOPER. All of those dates are after the date of the issuance of the passport?
Miss KNIGHT. Yes, sir.
Senator COOPER. I have just one more thing I want to inquire about.
Are you familiar with the--were you the Chief of the Passport Division at the time Oswald returned from Russia to the United States?
Miss KNIGHT. Yes, sir.
Senator COOPER. Who was empowered to issue passports in Moscow to Oswald?
Miss KNIGHT. Well, it was the consul, but he would not issue a passport or, in this particular case even limit the passport for return to the United States, without clearance from our office.
Senator COOPER. Then when Oswald made his application to return to the United States and to secure a passport to return to the United States, that application had to be cleared by the division, your division, in Washington?
Miss KNIGHT. Yes.
Senator COOPER. Did you make the determination as to whether the passport should be issued to him?
Miss KNIGHT. I personally did not. This was made by experienced citizenship lawyers.
Senator COOPER. By whom?
Miss KNIGHT. The decision was made by experienced citizenship lawyers in the Foreign Operations Division of the Passport Office. It was determined that Oswald had not expatriated himself. He had signed the necessary papers and he answered the required questionnaire under oath, and to the satisfaction of the Passport Office. Both the consul, who had an opportunity to talk to Oswald, and the citizenship lawyers, who handled the case in the Passport Office, were in agreement that he had not expatriated himself.
Mr. Dulles.
Those details are in the file in considerable extent.
Mr. Coleman.
Senator Cooper, for the record let me note we have Oswald's passport which is Commission Exhibit No. 946 and it states on page 15 thereof that the passport was renewed on May 24, 1962, and it expired on June 24, 1962, and it also stated when Mr. Oswald came into the United States on June 13, 1962.
Senator COOPER. I have just two more questions then.
One, at the time you issued the passport that Oswald was issued in New Orleans to go to Mexico and the other countries there was no requirement at that time that a lookout card be fixed to his file as a defector?
Miss KNIGHT. No, sir.
Senator COOPER. Whatever decision has been made on that has come since that time?
Miss KNIGHT. When you say "defector," the answer to that is in the questionnaire.
Senator COOPER. When I say "defector," was there any regulation, I mean in the Department, which required any special attention to be given to a defector----
Miss KNIGHT. No, sir.
Senator COOPER. With regard to the issuance of passports?
Miss KNIGHT. No, sir; and we cannot deny them passports.
Senator COOPER. My last question is, is it your statement that at the time you issued the passport in Moscow for his return to the United States, at the time the passport was issued in New Orleans, 1963, for his trip to Mexico and other countries, that there was nothing in the regulations relevant and nothing in the files which precluded you from issuing a passport to him?
Miss KNIGHT. This is my opinion; yes, sir.
Mr. Coleman.
I have no other questions.
Mr. Dulles.
I have no further questions.
Mr. Coleman.
Thank you, Miss Knight. We appreciate your coming in.
(Whereupon, at 6:35 p.m., the President's Commission recessed.)
« Previous | Next »

Found a Typo?

Click here
Copyright by www.jfk-assassination.comLast Update: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 21:56:34 CET