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fo ry Re: JNU L. Lewis, ET AL aa: resides a pringrield, Jilinois, was interviewo emper ecial Agents is not considere witne & hotvy accent and a vory imaudible woiss. He tion sect forth in the following etzstoment. It is be _ no NTERY “Springfield, I11 Soptambor 14, 1943. 1 Gpeirerscan citczcn. I mako tho following etatoma Gi « have idontifiod thomsolvos Agonte o Q Fo urceu of Invcstigatione No promiosc, threats, or coneidorction of any kind has beon mado to mo to gct mo to tke this statoncnt. “I hove worked at ting A eines 1935. I was omployod et Ming A at the timc thet Ryan sold hie interest to Blshoff. Bcforo thct timo I had heard no talk about changing tho union from Progroesive to Unitod Mino Workers. Iwas satisfiod with tho way thot the Progrceeive Mince Workors vere ontreting, ond I think that most of tho minors woro too, Whon Elshoff bought tho ring, thore was soo talk about whot wore going to bo dona. Iviert to som of the mectings at tho Frogrossivo Hall, I did not go to any other mcotings. I1 do not romomber who it was that told -o, but I remember thet they said that Elshoff would not open itiro A unless wo joingd the United Kino Workers. I also heard that if wo did not join the UMW that ho would take the coal out of Mino & through lino B. I hed hecerd that Elshoff fovorcd tho United Eins Workore, and had fcvorod tho UMW at Mino Be So ~e thought thot he would fevor tho Ui at Tine A. ®I did not attend the reoting whon thay voted to go to tho UM. I joinod later. I joined the UH" bocausc I had to to keep ny job cnd work ot Mince Be. I woule havo proferrod to have stayad in the PLA. *I plan on quitting Vine A in tho next fow days, and finding some kine of work on tho outsido. I do not think that tho conditions ot Mino A arc ce food now ce they woro unccr tho Progreseivose Tho local peesce rulo that wo could not talk in our own languages ot tho mino, onc if wo did thoy fino? us. I belicve in frocdon, anc I wos not gotting it ot Mino A under the UMT. ®I cot gonc sort of lottor, from the Unitod Mince Workors I bolicwe ae noar os I gan romembor, thie lottcr askod us to join tho Uli, and told ue that if wo did that Minc A would opon, and thet wo would got our jobs backs =- 547 =