Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-26
WALSH FALS|F|ES,
SAYS ROCKEFELLER
Gives Out Statement in Answer
to Charges of Industrial Re-
lations Commissions Head.
CRlTICIzEs INJUSTICE DONE
Also Reviews at Length Incl
dents in Connection With Col
orado Strike Situation.

NEW YORK, April 25.-John D.
Rockefeller. Jr, to-day gave out a
statement. in amplihcation of one he
issued yesterday. in answer to that OF
Frank p. Walsh, chairman of the Indus
trial Relations Commission, who made
public correspondence between Mr.
Rockefeller and l.. NJ. Bowers, chair
man Of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company. Mr.. Rockefeller also reviews
at length incidents in connection with
the Colorado strike situation.
MIR. Rockefeller characterizes as false
the statement OF Chairman Walsh that
he" (Rockefeller) presumed to dictate
letters that went out to the Presi-
dent OF the United States and to the
Governors Of the States. over the sigma
ture Of the Governor OF Colorado
These facts" Mr.. Rockcfeller's state
ment declares. "are as follows:
Last May Governor Ammons sent
Major E. w. Boughton. Attorney Cen
eral OF Colorado, to New York. never
met Major Boughton. but he told Mr..
Lee Qvy l.. Lee. Mr.. Rockefeller's rep
rcsentative) that Governor Ammons had
been disturbed over the misunderstand-
Ing which prevailed in the Eastern
Colorado strike. Major Boughton asked
way of getting the facts before the
public. Mr.. Lee suggested that one
method would be for the Governor to
write letter to the President Of the
United States and to his fellow-Gover-
nors In other States setting forth the
situation as Governor Ammons saw
OF OWN
VIEW OF SITUATION
ITO get the matter into shape for
consideration. MINOR Boughton asked
MT. Lee TO make his suggestion con-
crete by preparing a draft OF the kind
OF letter which he had in mind. AS
the basis for the preparation for this
draft, Major Boughton sent Mr.. Lee a
memorandum Of his own view of the
situation. The memorandum, written
by me and referred to In one of my
letters as having been sent by me to
Mr.. Lee. was nothing more than a
rough draft of statement concerning
the Colorado situation which had
drawn up In answer to statements
which had appeared in the press. but
had never been used
when ! learned OF Mr.. Lees sug-
Sestion TO Major Boughton. it occurred
TO me that this memorandum contained
material which Mr.. Lee might find
helpful in that connection. Mr.. Lee
draited his ideas and sent them to
Major Boughton. but they were never
even submitted to the Governor. ="
In the memorandum referred to- Mr..
Rockefeller reviewed the labor situa-
nj
no Ludlow massacre.
The engagement" he said, started
as desperate fight for life by two
small squads of militia against the
entire tent colony. which attacked with
more than 300 armed men. There were
no women and children shot by the
authorities Of the State or representa-
tives of the operators in connection
with the Ludlow engagement. Not
one"
The memorandum says that for this
statement reference is made to re-
Colorado militia under date OF May ..
1914.
ONLY ONE CHILD SHOT,
AND THAT by STRAY BULLET
The memorandum then declares that
there was but one child shot I'm this
engagement and that was by a stray
bullet. and the two women and eleven
children who met their death in a pit
underneath the floor of one OF the
tents were smothered
The memorandum refers to an article
written by one who visited Colorado
In which the statement is made, alleged
to have been based upon the reports of
Adjutant-G General Chase, that IAN over
whelming majority of the State militia
were mine guards and other EMPLOYEES
OF the coal companies. who had been
enlisted, armed and uniformed by the
State and sent out to make war upon
the strikers
The facts are" the memorandum
continues that mine guards were
enlisted in only one OF the companies
or militia sent to the strike zone"
1T has been charged" adds the
memorandum. that the employees in
the mines OF Colorado are no better
than slaves. oppressed by their en-
ployers and ground down to the last
extreme, in order that larger dividends
and more profits may be reaped by the
companies. The utter fals.ty and in.
Justice OF this charge are self-evident
III 50 1ar aB the colorado Fuel and Iron
Company Is concerned, with which
company alone I am in any way con-
nected. In view Of the statement which
has been widely published. namely. TINT
during the past twelve years, since our
relation to II. that company has never
paid single cent on Its common stock
and has paid only one dividend on jta
preferred stock, which was a portion Of
the large accumulation of dividends
which had accrued and a portion of the
dividend due the current year"
TOTAL AMOUNT THUS PAID
WAS ONLY S7so,ooo
The memorandum then says that the
total amount thus paid was only $3.50.
600. and that, at tho same time. the
company voluntarily Increased wages
OF miners and of steel employees bv
$4,000 a year.
The statement then takes up the
charge OF Chairman Walsh that tho
correspondence between Mr. Rocke-
feller and Mr. Bowers reveals that Mr..