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Re: JOEN L. LEWIS, ET AL - bee T? eT ee. Springfield, Tllinois, w on september 10, 1943, by Special Agents © and understande ish very well. & at he id not take much of an interest in union activities, oted that he always has preferred the Unitod Mine Workers union to the Progressive Mine Workers of America. He said that he has never bcen arrosted, The following signed statement was obtained from iD “Springfield, Ill. September 10, 1945. "I, make the following voluntary statement to. | ecrrscva sre and whom I know to bo Spocial Agents of the Fedcral Bureau of Investigation, of my own frec will, with no threats or promises madc to mec, "I live at Springfield, and am employed at Mine A. I was born , and started work at Hine A in | | I've been therc since CO. "tn the summer of 1941, I don't know just when, all the men at Mine A got a letter saying that Ryan no longer had any intorest in Mine A. The mine had becn closed down since April, and, in Scptembor, their unemploy- ment compensation was runnin out. The miners wero talking amonz themselvos of gctting their jobs back. The consensus of opinion among the men, after they heard that Elshoff had bought Mine A. was that it was possible to work the Mine A through Mince B. No onc over said anything about this to Te . "I fecl surc that oa large percentage of the men at Mine A were onxious to gct back into tho U.M.W. 1 personally was never satisfied with the P.lM.A. because I didn't think the leaders of the union were capable men. “J don't remember beips present at the P,M.A,. moctings on Septomber B and 11, 1941. I was told by a thot T hed been appointcd to a committee. m sure idn't go to the meeting at which the committce was eclectcd, because I would have disputed my appoint- ment. An appointment was made for the committee to mcot with Falcotti at Kine B. 46 I remember, theo other members on the committee, and those that saw Falectti, wore “e asked Falectti for the Lovdowm sa = inc A, vile mon could expect, Falcotti saw they had bought the loase from Ryan, and vere figuring on starting the mine about October first. J don't romember ony talk on tho part of Falcetti pertaining to tho U.M.W. The report of the cormittce's confcorence with Falcetti was givon to tho P.MA., b I believe. = 253- aethee wos