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a C | O a le aN tn t RE+ JOHN L. LEWIS, ETAL reves Vr A acc a lincis, was intorviowod at his rosidenco on Soptombor 18 1943, by Sposial Agonts SR 3 ein ee »-<: and a: English vory woll. Tho statement set or OW Springfiold, Tl+ was rood to, ho said ovorything in it was truo. He do- clined to - ~ saying that it was agninst his policy to sign any kind of a papor. nid that no ono had told him not to sign o statomont token by Fodorel Agonts ond also addod that ho has not boon in any kind of trouble. we wee ao " . Springfiold, Illinois Soptombor 18, 1945 "I mako tho following voluntary statement to as -:: whom I know to bo Spooial Agonts of tho odoral Bureau of Invastifration, of my own froo will, with no throats or promises mde to mo. "Tom living o Springfiold, Il- and om working at Mino A. I bogan working at Mine A in tho Unitod Mino Workers at thet timo. I joinod the Progro&sivo Mine Workors of Amorioa in 1932, and rojoined the U.M.W. in 1941. Tho é@witch to PMA in 1932 mado no difforonce to mo. I noithor favored or opposod it. JI am only interostod in mking a living, and stick with tho mjority of tho mon in anything thoy want to do. linois "I saw in tho nowspapor that RYAN had sold Mino A to ELSHOFF. I hod mado up my mind thot I wantod to keop on working ot Mino 4, and if 011 tho mon wont U.M.W., it wos 011 right with mo, just so I sould koop my job. Booauso of all I hed hoord of tho troublco ot Mine B, under ELSHOFF, I folt that I probably wouldn't hevo o job if, for any ronson, I didn't want to join U.M.W. I didn't hear ony rumors about ELSHOFF pulling coal from Mine A through Mino B, or thot ELSHOFF wos going to work Mine A only with U.M.W. mon. "I didn't go to any mootings hold by the P.M.A. union in Septombor of 1941, and dontt kmow anything thet wont on. No ono approached mo bofore the purchaoso to join thc U.M.W. I signed up with tho U.MLW, at : U.M.W. Hall. I was told to go to thoir hondquartors to sign up with thom, vo just bofors tho mine oponod. I don't romombor who told mo about it. I sow i ® lot of mon signing up thoro, and I folt that I had to sign too, if I . wanted to koop my job. ' ~ 272 =