Mr. Johnson.

Well, I supplied it in the office of John Abt to the representative of the FBI at the time, in the presence of my attorney, John Abt, and it was supplied to the FBI agent who came, and I assume was conducting the investigation on behalf of the Commission at the time.

Mr. Rankin.

Now, before you supplied that material to this FBI agent, did you make any search of files to determine what information, correspondence or records you had in regard to Lee Harvey Oswald?

Mr. Johnson.

Oh, yes. Very extensive. We went through every bit of the office.

Mr. Rankin.

Did you do that yourself or have it done under your supervision and direction?

Mr. Johnson.

I did it myself.

Mr. Rankin.

How large a search was that? I would like to establish how complete, if I can.

Mr. Johnson.

I will admit the files are not exactly in an organized fashion. It's--it was material in which there were a lot of other letters and things like that. So I went through these files several times.

Mr. Rankin.

Yourself?

Mr. Johnson.

All the files, back and forth.

Mr. Rankin.

You did that yourself?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes.

Mr. Rankin.

And those were all the files that you could find that might show any correspondence between----

Mr. Johnson.

Oh, yes.

Mr. Rankin.

The Communist Party and Mr. Lee Harvey Oswald?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes; that would be the complete file, everything, all the correspondence.

Mr. Rankin.

About when did you make this search?

Mr. Johnson.

Frankly, I started right after the assassination was announced. As soon as that name appeared, I started to make a search.

Mr. Rankin.

Why did you do this?

Mr. Johnson.

Somehow the name struck my memory.

Mr. Rankin.

Why did you supply the information to the FBI agent that was investigating?

Mr. Johnson.

Oh, because I felt dutybound to cooperate in the full with the Government in any investigation of this assassination.

Mr. Rankin.

Do you know whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald was ever a member of the Communist Party of the United States of America?

Mr. Johnson.

To my knowledge, he was never such, and I would know.

Mr. Rankin.

You think you would know?

Mr. Johnson.

Oh, yes; I would, I am sure.

Mr. Rankin.

I hand you an exhibit that has been marked----

Mr. Liebeler.

Exhibit No. 1 on the examination of Arnold Johnson, April 17, 1964. It has been our practice for the examining attorney and for the witness to initial the exhibit for purposes of identification so there is no confusion.

Mr. Rankin.

Mr. Johnson, would you be kind enough to initial the exhibit under my initials so we both certify one of the exhibits offered.

Mr. Johnson.

Yes (witness complies).
(Document marked Johnson Exhibit No. 1.)

Mr. Rankin.

Will you examine that Exhibit No. 1 on your examination and determine whether you have seen that before?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes; I have.

Mr. Rankin.

About when did you receive it?

Mr. Johnson.

In late June or early July--I believe June of 1963.

Mr. Rankin.

Where did you receive it?

Mr. Johnson.

In my office.

Mr. Rankin.

Is it in substantially the same form that it was when you received it, except for some notations by you on it?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes.

Mr. Rankin.

You recognize that there are some notations by you on that Exhibit 1?

Mr. Johnson.

Yes; there are.