Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-20
I. w. w. LEADERS
Continued from Page One)
Let Fruit Rot

"let the fruit rot on the ground and
calling on construction workers to lay
down their tools, have been signed by
Rowan. Lumber workers in the four
states already are on strike, Rowan
said while he was waiting his turn to be
searched and booked Il think the strike
will spread further now, and probably
will affect industries in which no strike
has been called. Even though all the
officers or employees OF the organizat ton
are put in jail and all the halls closed
ARRANGEMENTS have been made to handle
the movement"
! Only a vote Of the members Of the or
ganization can halt the strike, Rowan
said, as there is no one with authority
TO take such action unless !. W. w. MEM
bers by leaders Of the organization to be
illegally held In Jail are released by that
! time.
! Guardsmen Make Arrests
Rowan and William Moran, secretary
Of the local l. w. W. organization, were
! arrested at the local l. w. w. hall by
Mai Clement Wilkins, In command of a
battalion of guardsmen on patrol duty
here. Forty members of the company,
. Under command VI Sdpl' #. "a oc.Si'
rounded up q other men who were in the
hall and took them to the county jail.
A squad Of guardsmen was left at the
executive headquarters and another was
stationed at the l. W. w. hall and the
latter arrested three other men who went
TO the hall later and took them to the
TALL.
None Of the men arrested offered any
resistance The prisoners were lined up
in double column, between files OF the
guardsmen, with fixed bayonets, and
marched half mile 10 the Jail.
/ "You men are military prisoners and
are not detained under civil law Mai.
wilkins told the men in the Jail
/ AN investigation OF your cases will
be begun tomorrow. and If 1t is found any
Of YOU are wrongfully held you will be re-
leased"
Later Mai wilkins said the entire pros
ceedines we're under military orders and
that no charges had been placed against
the men.
Rowan Dictates Statement
At the Jail Rowan dictated state
ment Of the purposes Of the strike,
. which he later read and signed. He
said:
The principal object of the strike of
the lumber workers is the eight hour
day and sanitary conditions in the
, camps. We do not know of any reason
why we should be arrested and de-
tanned or why our hall should be clos
ed as we are not breaking any law.
We are not unpatriotic. Our princi-
pal demand is for the eighthour day
which has been adopted as standard
by the United States government.
There is nothing unlawful about
! demanding clean and sanitary condi
tions in camps. The things we demand
and have gone on strike for are the
things which would be beneficial not
only to ourselves but to the whole of
society, and would tend to put the
nation on a more secure foundation.
Denies German Financing
we have been accused of being un-
patriotic and working against the
| United States government in the in
( terest of the German government. 1t
has also been stated the lumber work
ers' strike was financed by German
money. This is absolutely untrue.
! The money which supports the lumber
workers strike has been contributed
| by the working class from all over
this country and some from working
! men Of other countries, but we have
not vet got any from the Kaiser.
We do not stand for the destruc-
I ton of property. We have no wish to
burn up the forests or to burn up the
crops. We court investigation. We
demand that this strike and this orr
! ganization be fully investigated by the
United States authorities and the re-
suits published.
We believe that the great mass Of
the people Of the country are in IA
vor of things which are advocated by
the I. w. W. We know that the only
reason why We are subjected to per-
secution is because. If the conditions
we demand are granted, It would de-
crease the profits made by the capital