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bh - ea x + ib Al biel a hac Mi te Bee ae et att cet ae ee a OT ee de a ¢ | RE: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL Springfield, jnois, wos interviewe 8 home _on September 17, 1943, by Special Agents speaks English well, on erstand 2t woll enougn to testily which he snid he is Willir- to doe He seid he has no grinin.} records The following Bignoe stoiecent was obtained from hims wo "Springfiold, Ill. Scptonbor 17, 1945+ "rT, aA ine stotoment frecly and volunterily to who hava identified themselv.e to me &s Specitl a ccnts of tho Fodertl Bureau of Investigatious. ‘0 throats or promiscs h.vo Loon mude to mo to _ ebtuin this statemcnt. "I presently rosido at Tll., ond um employed in Mize ue J was mem 7. I ofno to the United Stntes, Gitizcn on Springficld, "I began to work in Mince a in 5 I was a nenber of tho Umitod Mine Workerse In 1932 I joine G Progressive Minc Workors of Amcricae I wes in favor of the switch bocuuso of the raw dceul the minors got under tho UM. when the ballots were stolen, and whon tho UMet. signed a contract giving the minors & out in peye All tho time I wos in the Pailese I wos cntiroly setisifed with thet unione "Sano tine in Sentomber 1941 1 suw in the newspt.por thet Mre ELSHOFF had bought Mine & from ifre RYAN. Befors I went beck to work in the fall of 1941 I signed up with UJM. ct tho U.M.W. buildings I heard muny minors svying that if tho nen did not sign up with U.H.He Thoy would not neve any jobs-at Mine a. I un un old nin, and I mow that if I did net havo & job at Mine a, I could not get & job in ony other mine because I wes too olde I signed up with U.M.ife only bootuse I wos afroid thet I would not be able to get u job in any other mince I signed up with U.M.7. after most of the miners hed signed up et the mésting in the Elks Clube ‘Previous to ny signing up with UM. I wont to a union meeting at P.Meie hall whore the men discussed whathor thoy should join tho U.M.'e in ordor to work at Mino a. The loci.l union presidont ‘presided ot this mectings I think it wus Tho non voted uguinat joining the U.M.'7 ot this meeting. con't ronenbor anyone = 515 - et RR nt ce te toe GYR mig tba Toe etm home