◆ SpookStack

INTERVIEW WITH ae: interviewed at his residence, beer Jee Sorinefisid Tllinoie, on the afternoon oc RE: JOHN L. LEWIS, ETAL pe dd Rg SRR eR We September 17, 1943, by Special Agents E erred and a =: an intelligence above of the average miner. has a strong accent, but he is not too difficult to unde~stand. RERMED 3.005108 to interfere with the intarview, ac to persuade to refrain from signing the stetement. eaid that it was trea, and he would sign it anyway. He gave information set forth in the ollowing statement: Springfield, Til. September 17, 1945 es Tam an American citizen. I am now employed at Mine A. AT the following statement to ae =: No promises, threats, or osonsidcration of any kin 8 beGcn made me to make this etater.ant. "I have worked at Mine A sinoo I was working at Mine A in 1941 when Mr. RYAN sold the mine to ELSHOFF. When the mino was sold we had a meeting at the Progressive Hall. At that meeting told us that the mine would be reopened if we joined the United Mine Workers. The ming had beon closed for a long tims, and we wanted to get to work, After that there was another meoting at the K of C Hall, I think. At this meeting EDMUNSON talked, and told us that if we joined the United Mine Workers he would see to it that Mine A reopened, 1 signed up with the UMyY at that time, prior to the sale of the mine by RYAN there wes not mich talk at the mine about changing unions. Somo of the men were complaining about the high dues and things, but most of us wore satisfied. I preferred the Progressive Mine Jorkers of America, myself. I would mneot men on the strect, and they would ask me what they should do. They did not want to join the UMN any more than I did, but they told me that they couid not get a job at any other place. They did not kmow what to do. They sould not do anything else than join the UMN. They had hoard of all the trouble that had happened at Mine B and we did not want any trouble and wanted to work. So wo joined the United Mine Workers. That is the reason that I joined the United Mine Yorkers, “At the time, I did not want to join the United Mine Workers and would have rather stayed in the Progressive Mine Workers, but I did not know what elise I could do. = §15 -