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C @ RE: JOHN L. LEWIS, ETAL INTORVIE WITH wos intorvicwod by Spooial Agonts sete Po nd igs not particularly wol informed concerning tho Gotells of tho switch to D.M.We It ig not folt that ho would mko a good witness. Ho furnished tho following statoment which ho rofusod to signs " Springfiold, Tl. Bopt. 18, 1943 "I, , mako tho following voluntary statement to & Spooinl dgoants of tho Fodoral Burocu of Invostigation. No throats or promisos havo boon mado to induce mo to mike any statomont. ‘1 wos born <n fps 2 2 2524 employod at Ming A. J am on tho trial committee of tho UP or tho losal ont Mino A. I havo boon 4 minor oll my lifo and a mombor of tho UM/ up un- til I joined thy PMA iu 1932. I didn't havo anything to do with the start cf progressive and as far as I'm soncorngd both of tho unions ara about tho samo. Itvo boon at Mino A since about * “tn tho foll of 1941 I sot a lottor from RYAN stying ho had scld Mino A to ELSHOFF. I figured that the mino probably would stay olosod end I would bo out of & job. 4s soon os iho mon hoard about the salo of the mino the Pli: otlled somo meotings. “7 vont to a mocting at tho PM. hall soon aftor this and had charga of this mooting. Thora wos a lot of argumonts and talking os to whothor wo should ol1 jcin unitod. Somo said Mino & wouldn't open in tho fall, othors said oo11 from Mino 4 would bo haulod through Mine B, and I undorstcod ELSHOFF was supposed to havo mode tho ro=- mark thet ho was oither going to operate with united or not at all. Not much happoned at this mooting excopt a lot of talk. "rhe second meeting I wont to was alsc in tho PMA halla littlo whilo aftor tho first one. The hall wos alnost fillod & everybody again talked about what thoy thought ELSHOFF was going to do with Mino 4. Vihon I loft the building I saw —:: in front of tho building and I noticed his shirt was torn @ told mg ho had boon in a fight with somo of tho progrossive officials. I think wes ono of a committoo of four or fivo whe had boon appointed by tho prasident to o2l] ELSHOFF on tho phono & find out what ho wos going to do with Mino a. I do not know who baa p. I got away from tho mooting as I figurod thore was going to bo troudlo. . - 601 =