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C os O Re: JOHN L. LEwIS, ET AL. NTERV IEW ITH crore wes interviewed at Chatham, Illinois, by ~ ies te : Ce at the plece where he was working. 3B 18 strongly anti- UMi and advised that he quit Mine A because he could not work under UM. He cheracterizes UM as being un-American. He is favorable to the govern- ment's cose and could be used as a witness, His statement is as follows: Cphe » 1943. "I, Springfield, Ill. make the following voluntary statement to and ( Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. o threats or promises have been made to induce me to make a statement. I I was born on years and had been a4 member o PKA. in about 1972. I didn't have anything to do with the starting of the PUMA and as fer as Itm concerned the PKA was always a good union. wih - eale che go eta Se iit om presently employed by I was 2 miner for over or a long time until I joined ohteise "J started at Mine 4 in avout SR x worked thore until the spring of 1942. I was at line & when Ryen sold Mine 4 to Eishoff. 1 remember that I got a lettor from Ryan about the sale and as soon as I heard that 1 felt that Kine & was sure to go United in view of the fact i felt Elshoff favored United. "T went to a few meetings et the Pi Hall after t announced, but did no go to the PA meotings at the Elks and a call it the first PMA meeting was presided over by quenmins There was a lot of talk about PMA being shut out at the mino and most of the mean were opposed to joining the U.M.W. we did not want to join United and felt that Elshoff wanted to oporate the mine only with United men. ‘se all voted not to go to work at the mine under the U.K... There were obout 125 men at this meeting- ~ _ he gale was DB. AW. fat) "There was another meeting at PLA about 4 or 5 days after this et the PKA hall and at thet meeting there were 4 or 5 men appointed to a committee to go and see Elshoff as to what he was going to do. I hoard that these men later reported to our local that Elshoff had said thet the mine Was going to be operated by United men. "I remember that at this meeting some of the PL, men got in a fight and that QM cot beaten up at that time. I did not attend any of the othar meetings. I did hear that our men had swung over to United and ~ 603 - = |