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Lirector “2= 9=28=45 Of sicnificance is a statement made by WAGNER in his memorandum of October 4, : 1941 that "“EDMUNDSOW stated that these employees undoubtedly were afraid that ; ELSHOFF would mine his newly scquired property through Mine B," and that “To avoid this they came to him and signed applications for membership in the taal U.Mei.4." The Department feels that it is apparent that EDMUNDSON's contentions : jn this regard were hypocritioal in view of his kmowledgs that he and LEWIS were . advancing $60,000 to enable ELSHOFF to purchase the mine, The Department hopes that Mr. WAGNERts recollections of exact conversations can be refreshed by his reading of the photostatic copies of his memoranda transmitted herewith. For the information of the San Franoisco Office, practically ai] of the miners employed at Mine A at the time of the seasonal shut down in the a spring of 1941 were interviewed. As @ result of these miss interviews it ~ appears that @ vast majority of the miners employed at Mine A were in favor of the P.M.A. Union and had no desire to switch to U.K.W. It further appears that there was no particular controversy, and the subject of a switch from P.M.A. to U.M.lie WAS never discussed among the miners until after CARL H. ELSHCSF purchased Mine A on September 4, 1941. It appears that immediately after September 4, 1941 @ number of mestings were held by the Mine A employees, and in the course of these meetings they came to the conclusion that they would save their jobs only by switching their affiliations to U.l.W. On Sunday, September 14, 1941 the . majority of the employees of Mine A voted to join U.uU.W. On the same date, By: EDMUTDSON swore in the officers of the new U.M.. local and called ELSHOFF to anti his office where ELSHOFF inmediately agreed to sign a closed shop contract with = i Ueleitie for the operation of Mine A. The asotual signing of the oontract was ee deferred until after midnight inasmuch as ELSHOFF did not want to sign @ ocon~ tract on Sunday. A few days later the operation of Mine A actually commenced. It appears that after ELSHOFF's purchase of the mine a well-planned stretegy was put into effect wherein rumors were circulated among the miners to the sifect that since Iiine A and Mine B were connected, and since it was pos- sible to take coal out of Mine A through Mine B, that unless the miners at , oo Mine A joined U.'.¥i. they would not be employed when the mine reopened. They ~. ®& were led to believe that if the mine did not open U.M.W. that the coal of > Mine A would be taken out by U.}./. miners from Mine B through the Mine B shaft. The information set out above concerning the resulte of interviews with miners cof Mine A is furnished for the oonfidential information of the San Francisco Office, and MARTIN WAGNER should not be advised of the results of the | Bureau investigation in connection with this matter. However, he should be thoroushly teinterviewed in addition to the request set out above, to ascertain the results of his investigation in connection with this matter. It is noted that WAGKeK's investigation was made after Mine A opened and after the member= ship ewitch from P.MeA. to U.H.WeA.