◆ SpookStack

fF Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL pringPield, rE 4 Bas cin. Tilinois, was interviewed in his residenge on Sontember 15, 1943, by Speciel Agents sens This man does not spenk English too well, and at times he has trouble expressing himeslf. He ia riso hard of hear- ins. H- ur@urstends English when it is spolen slowly and s.early. If necessary, ne will testify. scid he has no criminal record, “Springfield, Tll. September 15, 1943. marke the following voluntcry statement to whor. I know to be Specinl Agents of the of my om free will, with no threats or Feders promises made to me. eld, ITll., and am working "I om livine and came to at Mine Ae Iwas bera the United Statcs in > became o citizen «4 I joined the Ue he “is in and wise a member unti Ly - & member of the Progressive Line Workers of Americn. I never held an of- fice in any union. In all the time I wos co member of the P. Me Ae, I liked the union, wis sctisficd with it, cnd didn't want to rejoin the U. a oy aie Me "Tl sow in the paper thet Ryan hnd sold the mine, and Elshoff boucht it. dust after this, © special P. HM. As meeting was held at Pro~ cressive Hell. Notices of the meeting hod been sent out by a committee. The mecting wos for the purpose of finding out whnt was going on, and a committee was appointed to find out whether Mine A was going to stcy closed, or whether it would opernte. The pit committee of the P. Ms As refused to go see Elshoff ot Vine B, and refused to heve anything to do with him. There wos a lot_of arcuing, and almost some fights. This mest- ing wie presided over by cin I think that's the name, presi- dent of the Pe Me Ae locel. There Wo o much confusion in the hall to know whet was happening, end I don't mow how the committee was appointed. The specinl committee went out, I thought to see Slshoff, and weren't gone morc thon ten or fifteen minutes, when they came back. eenee i on this committee. when they cnme back to the hall, they told a men thot Elshoff would opernte Hine A, but only with U. Ms “ie, ond thet the - men could go back to ork only if they joined the U. NM. ‘f. I don’t know whether they say Elshoff or not. “tiihen I first heard that Elshoff had bought Mine A, I did wonder what would happen to mee Repardless of the union Elshoff wanted, I would heve to work there, decouse I was too old to get & job somewhere else. f wos satisfied with P. He Ae, and hadn't been appronched by any U. H. Hy - 523 -