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riper eR net = emi C —O Ror JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL ointly interviewed at his on September 18, and We. wae aaes Ls awestict at which time he furnished the following statement. o discuss the matter involved, and stated he would be a willing witness to testify to the facts as set forth below: “Springfield, Tllinois September 18, 1943 "i make the following voluntary statement to an whom I know to be Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S. Department of Justice. “I reside at as. Springfield, Ill, I am presently employcd at Mine 4 as a digger, and have vorkcd there continuously since about June, 1932, I was born on "The first mine union I joined was the Uls; in June, 1932 at ‘fino A. I voluntarily joined the Pua in September, 1932 with the majority and I favorcd the PMA aftcr 1932. In 1941 I first learned Elshoff had purchased Mine A from Ryan from thc nowspapers. My reaction, after knowing about the previous Mine B trouble, was that “ishoff would sign a contract with the UM and I would have to join the UMW, the Unitcd Mine workers of America, to keop my job. I would rather have worked for Ryan. — ” “hon Ryan operated the minc, it was a good place to work, and the working conditions were very satisfactory. "J did not hoar the rumor that Elshoff might operate Mine A through Mine B or that it would stay closed until we joined the United Mine Workers. “I only attended two Pia meetings, meaning tho Progressive Mine “erkers of Amcrica, when the men of the PMA local at Mino A were discussing joining the Uv. One was at the PMA Hall and one was at tho Elks Club. "I received notice of the PMA Hall moeting from the newspapers. They did not decide anything at that meeting, but wanted to got in touch vith Blehoff to determine what he was going to do. A couple of the men went out of the meeting to tclophone blshoff, but could not reach him, There was a fight on the stairway between some PMA members who did not want the local to join the UI. I did not see the fight, and tho meeting broke up. "I am not interested in either union. I felt that the men were going to join the UM, and that if I wanted to continue working at Mine 4, I would have to join also. It is my opinion that the only men who went to - 307 -