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bE Be: ber ee ce rae ee a tmnt Re: JOHN L. LiwIS, ET AL, es Springfield, Illinois, was jointly interviewed at his residence on September 15, 1943 by Special agents . This individual is presently ttended all of the fnur meetings emolovec at Mine Ai roar Siw Of De IOP EReiil Tr Rk a all NF Net eatin al 2 whek “=, te. . of the Pls i> Septenber 1942 prior to the mers at Kire A joining ‘the Uk but he kiew very few details of the meetings, stating he willingly joined the UM as the job was more important than the wion. He executed the following statement. "Springfield, Illinois September 15, 1943 "I, make the following voluntary Statement to ; whom I know to be Special avents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. 5. Department of Justice. Sprirgfield, Illinois. I have "T reside at I am presertly employed as_a mine digger at Mine A, worked at that mine since I was born on the first mine union I joined waz the United Mine workers of America, referred to hereinafter as the Univ, at aine A, Springfield, Illinois in i was working at Mine A in 1932 when it went to the “ua, Taeined the PMA with the majority of the miners at that time, I am referrirg to the Progressive sine workers of “merica, which 1 shall refer to as the Fuh. Yo one forced me to join the PHA. It did not rake any difference to mé which wnion had the bargaining rights at mine A. In 1941 I learned through the newspapers that Elshoff hac bought Mine A, "J did not care who omred the mire. I had to work just the same. As far as 4 krew, the working conditions and the labor prob- _ lems under the FRA at Mine A were saitsfactory. No UMi organizers tried to get me to join the Ua». JI heard the report that Elshoff might operate Mire A through Mine B, I did not believe this re~ port. I also heard some statement to the effect Elshoff would open Mine # on the condition that the miners joined the UM#, Keeping in mind the trouble the PMA had had at sine B, I figured the miners trould have toe join the UMi or the mine would stay closed, as far as 4 was concerned, due to work being scarce, I vanted to join the Uke to get vork, At the sane time, I want to say that I like the Pua, but the job was the main thing. "It was my opinion before the “Ma meeting in September, 1941, that the miners would join the Univ. = 490 - eign A ar eB al a ce ate am wee.