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ar a Paes ‘ Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET AL INTERVIEW WITH s interviewed at his residence, - . ne Springfield, Illinois, 1.” on ‘the ernoon o —_— 15, 1943, by ( art tse VARI ce PTY eV Ee ‘ * mea Sa Special Agents would make an & ° S intelligence does not excee at of an average miner. He states a great deal of information as fact, which is only hearcay to him. He studied the statement set forth below, and seid that it was all true. He declined to sign it, however, stating that he wes married and had four’ children, and did not “want hie head blown off." He has a distinct hate and fear of the United Mine Workers. "Svringfield, Ill. September 15, 1943. I wos born in I make the following statement to who have identified themselves to me to be ureau of Investigation. No pro- mises, threats, or consideration of any kind has been made to me to make this statement. "My name is “I worked at Mine A about years until 1942. In 1941 when the mine closed down for the summer, [ wes emploved at the mine. In the Fall of 1941, the mine wes sold to Elshoff. I never went back to work eat Mine A after that because I did not want to join the United Mine Workere, and they did not hire anyone who was not. About the time Mine A was sold there was 8 meeting at the Progressive Hall, where the men decided that they would stand pat, and would not change over to the United Mine Workers. At that Meeting, eee and some other men started a fight. Some of the Ft officers were taiking, and these men kept inter- fering. The officer told them tht if they wanted to have a different meeting, that they should go over to the UM7 hall. wae a PMT official, and they heckeled him so much that he got mad. en the fight etarted. "I did not go to any other meetings. Iwould not go to any meetings not held in the Progressive Hall, because the men knew that I was a atrong Progressive and I would be beaten up. "When the mine closed dorm, the men were very satisfied with the conditions at Kine A, and the Frogrossive Union there. I have worked in mines years, and in almost every mine in Springfield, and many over Tllinois. ine A had the best working conditions of any of these mines. I had planned on going back to work at Mine A when it reopened. I did not have another job, but I would not work under the United Mine liorkers. J did not even go beck to get my tools, which were worth about $65. I knew that if I tried to go get them that I would get beaten. = 566 = Pm re AE EME oe gt DT een eee