Mr. Paine.

in Moscow, which was--which proved to be fortunate because then a few years later when he wanted to return it would not have been possible, except if they still had his passport. He had not legally surrendered it.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he indicate that was a fortunate circumstance?

Mr. Paine.

I think he smiled, he indicated to me he genuinely had wanted to become a Russian citizen and to surrender it. He wanted to renounce his American citizenship. He tried to, and the Russians, he told me, had accepted his bona fide intentions and tried to get the passport away from the Americans.

Representative Ford.

Was the failure to get his passport a determining factor in their not accepting his desires?

Mr. Paine.

No. He told me that they did accept his desires despite his inability to get the passport and give it to them.

Representative Ford.

Despite his inability?

Mr. Paine.

Yes.

Mr. Liebeler.

"They" being the Russians?

Mr. Paine.

Yes; they being the Russians and they issued to him, he told me, the standard kind of temporary citizenship paper which is given to all emigres to Russia, and there are some--

Mr. Dulles.

Was it citizenship paper he said or something else, citizenship paper?

Mr. Paine.

Now, I suppose there was a regular paper and everybody would know of it.

Mr. Dulles.

Domicile paper or something allowing domicile.

Mr. Paine.

I had thought, my impression was, that it was kind of probationary citizenship. It is a kind of paper issued for a year to somebody who is seeking citizenship. That was my impression at the time.

Mr. Dulles.

Could it have been a probationary residence permit or something of that sort. He said citizenship, did he?

Mr. Paine.

That was my impression. That it was the commencement of a citizenship paper.

Mr. Dulles.

Did he tell you about any difficulties he had in getting permission to stay on in Russia?

Mr. Paine.

Well, this was a question. I asked him how was it they so readily accepted--you know other Americans have a hard time staying more than 30 days there, "How was it that you were so readily accepted into the bosom of Soviet Society?" And to that he answered, "well, it was just a fortunate mood between the countries or something to that effect," is something that I gathered.
I didn't remember the history and I thought it would be he smiled a little bit. I can't remember whether he smiled a little bit when I then asked him how did he manage to get out, at one time, but at one time I do remember he smiled as though there were a story there, and I didn't--I supposed the story would be too intricate, not interesting enough to try to get him to relate it.

Mr. Liebeler.

You did not ask him to relate the story?

Mr. Paine.

No; I did not.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did you ever learn the circumstances under which he left Russia, from him?

Mr. Paine.

As he told me at that same half hour before we came back to our house on Fifth Street--

Mr. Dulles.

Was this the first time you had seen him?

Mr. Paine.

All this happened in the first half hour.

Mr. Dulles.

The first time you had ever seen him?

Mr. Paine.

The first time I had seen him or at least that first night.
He told me he had decided, that he had wanted, to come back to this country and it was through the fortunate circumstance of the Embassy still having his passport which was a legal loophole that made it legally possible, and I asked him--at sometime I thought this was rather nice that the State Department, I think this was a little later in the same evening, the State Department had forewarned him, had granted him money also, to come back.

Mr. Liebeler.

Did he tell you that?

Mr. Paine.

He told me that and I was rather proud of the State Department for its generous behavior toward such a wayward citizen. He actually had