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a Se a ee a SC A ae ea le Re: JOmN L, LEWIS, ET AL Springfield een at his rosidence on Scptomber 15, 1943, He apoeared wiiling to answer the questions put to him. bus due to his age, and por knowledge of Lnglish, he would not make a good witness. He furnishes tne Tolloving signod statement: . RTSRVIT WITH "Springfiold, Illinois September 15, 1943 "1 SR oe the following volunta.y statement + «hom I know to ba Special Agents of the Federal ~ Burcau of Invistigation, U, S. Departnent of Justice, "I was born SESE RREESTTE TE TTaR mest I entered the United States ™ - end was riturulized at Springfield, linois in iy. I live at » Springficid, Ill., and I am not employsd becausas I am too old, "The first mince union J joined was the United Mine Workers of America, which will be referred to hereinaftcr as the UMW. I joined this union at the Springfield, Ill. in fii I worked at various mines in the Springficid area under the UM, "I started working at ine A under the UM? about I left “Mine A in April, 1941. The mine shut down and I never returned to work when it opencd up again under Elshoff. I wos too old to work any longer. . "I wos in favor of the change at ine A from the UMW to the PMA in 1932, I do nct want to work in a union that is led by John L. Lowis. I always liked the Progressive Mine Workers of America, which will be referred to hereinaftcr as the PMA, "I heard about the operator, Ir. Ryan, of Hine A selling out to Carl Elshoff because it was mentioned in thc PMA mceting at the PMA Halli about a week after Elshoff bought the mine. "T did not want Elshoff to buy Minc A because he would try to get the UM? in the minc. There was some talk about this at the PMA mecting which I attended. JI did not want to join the UM, so I quit the first part of April, 1941. “Everyone seemed to be satisfied when they worked under the PMA. "No one tclked to me about joining UM7. I attended two PMA meetings at the PMA Fall. It was brought of at these PMA mootings that - 501 - a EE Se oc Aula, SO REE See ee a ae a Sot a SL + allt aa