only member of the "New Orleans branch," which had never been chartered by the National Fair Play for Cuba Committee.1082 Later that day Oswald was released on bail, and 2 days later he pleaded guilty to the charges against him and paid a $10 fine. The charges against the Cuban exiles were dismissed.1083 Marina testified that the arrest upset Lee and that he "became less active, he cooled off a little" after it.1084
On August 16, Oswald, assisted by at ]east one other person who was a hired helper, again passed out Fair Play for Cuba literature, this time in front of the International Trade Mart. That night, television newscasts ran pictures of Oswald's activities.1085 (This hindered Oswald's subsequent attempts to obtain employment in New Orleans.) 1086 Bringuier sent one of his friends to Oswald's home to pose as a Castro sympathizer and attempt to obtain information about Oswald, but Oswald apparently saw through the ruse.1087
William Stuckey, a radio broadcaster with a program called "Latin Listening Post," had long been looking for a member of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee to appear on his program. He learned about Oswald from Bringuier, and visited Oswald on August 17. Later that day, Stuckey recorded an interview with Oswald which cut to about 5 minutes and played back on the show that evening.1088 Two days later, Stuckey asked the news director of the station if he could run the entire tape, but the director felt that a debate with a local opponent of Castro would be of greater public interest. Consequently, Stuckey arranged for a debate between Oswald and Bringuier on a 25-minute daily public affairs program called "Conversation Carte Blanche," which took place on August 21.1089 Oswald defended the Castro regime and discussed Marxism. He was put on the defensive when his defection to Russia was brought up,1090 and Stuckey later testified that he thought that the program had finished the Fair Play for Cuba Committee in New Orleans.1091 However, Stuckey also testified that Oswald seemed to be a clean-cut and intelligent person who conducted himself very well during the interviews and debates.1092
Oswald wrote several times to V. T. Lee, then national director of the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, telling him, sometimes in exaggerated terms, of his activities.1093 He wrote also to the Communist Party and asked whether, in view of his prior defection, he should "continue to fight, handicapped as it were, by * * * [his] past record, [and] compete with anti-progressive forces, above-ground or * * should always remain in the background, i.e., underground."
The Party replied that "often it is advisable for some people to remain in the background, not underground." 1095 And although Oswald wrote four letters to V. T. Lee during the summer,1096 there is no evidence that Oswald heard from him after May 29.
Ruth Paine arrived in New Orleans on September 20, and spent three nights with the Oswalds. During this stay, Mrs. Paine found relations between them much improved. Nonetheless, it was decided that Marina would go back with her to Irving for the birth of the
