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a JOHN EDGAR HOOVER C CC-287 Mr. Tolson ® DIRECTOR €} : Wr. BE. A. Teun , : * . Mr. Clegg 7 Federal Sureau of dnvestigation Mr. Glavin Vi t i Mr. Ledd__.. oa Rrited States Bepartment af Justice ME ero, ra ne. Washington, B. C. Mr, Rosen 0 Mr, Tracy E' October 22, 1943 Mr. Careon Mr, Cotley Mr. Hendon ° Mr. Kramer MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR Mr. MeGalre 's : Mr. Harbo RE: JOHN L, LEVIS, ET AL Mr. Quinn Tamn__ CIVIL RIGHTS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Tele. Room Mr. Nease There are attached for your information articles which Miss Beabm appeared in theWjashington Times Herald and therfew York Daily Miss Gandy Mirror on October 19, 1943. These articles bear the date line Springfi€ld, Illinois, Cctober 18, 3943, and set forth the alle ration made by Zdmundson, President of thé United Mine Workers Union, Springfield, Illinois, that "somebody in Washington is tapping our office telephones and my home phone." Edmundson continued by stating, according to these articles, that as a result of this practice, the UMW will establish an “underground pony express" system of comminication among UMW officials, The article in the Ti Hi uspaper also contained the statement attributed to Edmundson that "Washington Gestapo force has compelled the mine workers to go back to the pony express." . The allegations of Edmundson, as set forth in the attached newspaper articles, are, of course, absolutely false, as there have not been any technical surveillances of any kini employed in the investigation of this case and none are contemplated. In view of the nature of the allegations made by Edmundson, I thought the Attorney General should be appropriately informed of the falsity of Sdmundson'’s charges. &s you kmow, the Bureau has conducted an extensive investigation in the captioned matter at the express request of the Attorney General to deter- . mine if John L. Lewis and officials of the MW Union, together with Carl H. Le —“clshoff, omer of Mine B, Springfield, conspired in violation of the civil Pr Eee rights statutes to injure and oppress Elshoff's employees in the free exercise ge ven ““, of the rights secured to them under the ne Labor Relations Act. As you peer fo 123 know, it was alleged that Lewis paid to Elshoff during the a years 1937 to 1941, with the intent to anduce Bisnolr to impose unfair labor Jf = pracces upon his employees who were at that time memvers of the rival union, al C th “Progressive Mine Workers of Ameri C84 soRDED / — | & oa Lf i 44 ACTION RECOMMENDED: 4 gp ixvexhY ra 4 ~ 3 7 — a ° " ( There is attached for your approval 4 randuP to the ey Gqneral, ving him copies of the attached newspaper les ys 5} him |that = seer 1 an S have belen waa tm thic cane Vitae * S0luteiy no tecnnicai surveillances be