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Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, et al. ~ INTERVIEW WITH Springfield, Illinois, : Special Agents ee eee f This man speaks and understands Eng ’ ; neere fear of receiving another beating From union “toughs” if it becomes \nown that he has spoken against them. If necessary, he will testify but he stated he will always be afraid that his life will be in feopardy efter that. He claimed to have no criminal] record. mo. ots : : : > wane set te es _ ~ The following is a signed statement which was obtained from qm "Springfield, Ill. September 6, 1943. "T, méeke the following statement freely and volun- terily toc Re “ee fot mwho have identified themselves to me as Specicl agents of q burcau of Investigation. No threats or promises have boen made to me ta obtain this statement. "T presently reside atk Springfield, T1ll., and I em working in Mine 4. *T was born OS ae I came to the United States in and was naturalized in ig n Springfield, Ill. I first joined a mine union, the United Mine Workers, in i I joined the Progressive Mine horkers of America in 1932. I rejoine e United Mins workers in 1940. I never have been an officer i ty \ E on 8 * "In 1939 after Mine B rcopened, two unions, the U.M.¥. and the P.M.4., were working in the mine together. At this time the P.M.A. was the larger group locally. The U.M.w. watched tho P.M.A. meetings to see who went to the P.M.A. meetings. Then the U.M.W. men started to sign up the miners. "Some time after Mine B reopened the officials of P.M.A. and U.N. egread to have a joint meeting of both unions to try to settle the trouble at Mine B, The purpose of the mescting was to determine if all the miners would go with one union or the other. They were going to have a vote to determine which union the miners preforred. The meeting was held in Redman Hall. The president of the P.M.4. local and the President of the U.M.T, “ee local presided at this mecting. It was the iden that the union to have the 5 run of Mine B would be the union that the had the majority of the votes et this meeting. The U.M.¥. claimed it had a majority of the miners in the state, and the P.M.A. claimed it had a majority of the miners in Mine 5, which it did. Because of the inabili ity of the unions to agree on anything -94— Tem eg a came rm mamas oe ee me ee ee