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MONE etna Be ea oe F E I F Re: JOHN L. LExIS, ETAL. as interviewed by Special Agents is above the average miner telligence and although friendly, expressed his preference for U.h.h. over P.E.A. He furnished no information of particular value and his value as a witness for the Government is doubtful. His statement is as follows: "Springfield, Di. Sept. 15, 1943 snake the following voluntary statement to fii, Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investiga- ha ra Ae tn Gn io Wt why Ae navies me £7 melira arr at mp Guce Me Go Make ary statement "I was born o and became a U. S. citizen through my fath I have been a miner all my life and was foremen for Pea- body for about @ years and other mines. I presently reside a I have been enmployed by the Kine A Coal Company for the pest years anc presently work nights at the mine I joined the U.k.W. when J first started in as a miner. "IJ was at Kine A in 1932 when the state went progressive and joined the P.k.A. at that time. Iwas satisfied with the U.M.w. and didn't approve of the formation of the P.k.A., but I didn't take any active part in the opposition. The truth of the matter is that although I paid dues in the F.X.A. I never actually signed a card for the P.K.A. I have never paid much attention to any of the union activities, but have always been more in favor of U.k.W. I always felt there should be only one union in the mines and there wasn't any need for P.K.A. For a majority of the time I have been at Vine A I have been working nights, and in view of that fact I have never had much contact with the men at the mine. "I cannot recall dates at all, but we shut down at Line A every spring that RYAN owned Kine A so I imagine we also shut down in the spring of 1941. I believe that I received a notice from RYAN to the effect that he had sold Mine A to ELSHOFF. “At about that time there were a lot of rumors going around as to what was going to happen at Mine A, Some said it wouldn't open and others said it would be mined through Mine B. "J went to a meeting st P.M.A. hall about that time at which time the meeting seemed to be presided over by I recall that gave a little talk and suggested that the men take a vote as to what union they wanted to belong to. When the mine was sold by RYAN I heard that ELSHOFF had made the remark that he was going to operate Mine A the same as hine B. I think most of the men felt there was a possibility that only U.L.W. men would ~- 405 -