Arizona republican., 1919-10-27
.LE W|S DECLINES
 TO MAKE KNOWN JIM. W. LATITUDE
Strike Situation Unchanged He Says In Brief State ment-Matter Will Prob ably Be Disposed Of At Executive Session To Be Held Wednesday
Republican A. P. Leased WIre1

BLOOMINGTON, H., Oct. Z6.-Jonn L. Lewis, acting president of the United Mine Workers of America, to- night declined to state specifically the attitude of the United Mine Workers toward the statement of President Wilson yesterday regarding the pro- posed strike of the bituminous coal miners of the nation.
 MT. Lewis would only say:
 T am an American, free born, with all the pride of my heritage. I love my country with it's institutions and traditions With Abraham Lincoln I thank God that we have a country where men may strike. May the power of my government never be used to throttle and crush the efforts of the toilers to improve their mate rial welfare and elevate the standard of their citizenship
 Not Officially Notified
 MT. Lewis said that he had not re- ceived any message from Washington: that he had been travelling all day. He left Washington at o'clock Sat urday evening to return to his home at Springfield, which he left October G. He added he had yesterday morning at 10 o'clock called a meeting of the national executive board of the United Mine Workers to convene at Indianap- oils at 10 o'clock Wednesday, He ex- plained that the meeting was called before President Wilson's statement wS.s made public. The gathering had been called primarily to formulate de- tails of the strike.
 When asked to make statement on the right of the miners to strike No- vember l, in the face of the critical conditions, he said:
 "The coal operators have not offered a single constructive suggestion de- signed to avert this catastrophe. All through the negotiations at Buffalo, later at Philadelphia and still later at Washington the miners waited in vain for any counter proposal to be submit ted by the operators. During the con- ference with Secretary Wilson at Washington we said many times that we were willing to re-enter negotia tions with the operators without res ervation to conclude the making of an agreement forthwith. The offer thai we made was repeatedly declined The responsibility for the stoppage of work in the bituminous coal districts must necessarily lie with the coal opera tors"
 MT. Lewis was asked what answer he had to make to the contention oi the operators that the contract ha6 not expired.
 Our contract read that it was tc continue Tn effect during the periot until the war ended and not to ex. ceed March 31, 1920" he replied.
 "The war is over. Our soldiers have returned. All the government wal agencies are disbanded. A German vessel of war is even now heading fol New York with peace mission. II substance, form and reality the wal is ended, ard our contract has ex pired"
 What right have you to ask so larg, an increase in wages as 50 per cent :?
 he was asked
 well, now we are willing to stant
 on the merit of our proposal" he re
 piled. This SO per cent increase i | subject to negotiations, as are all de mands of the united coal miners, bu they will not even negotiate" During the past twelve months tn miners of the United States have aver aged only s75 month, or $500 for tn entire period. The men have worke on an average of less than three day | d WCCh sAACC lliC elI kkSO WdSS olS StiSe
 Men with families can not live on thi
 amount. Children in mining camp
 are under-nourished. This is a matte
 of life and death to the women an
 children of the miners families as we
 as it is to the public. Charity begin
 at home.
 Our aim is to make shorter work ' ing period and to distribute the wor
 over more days during the year. TT
 miners in England have a seven-hol
 day, from bank to bank, which meaI
 from the time they leave the surfat 9 of the ground until they get bac t Miners in the United States have g : eight day, but that doesn't coul : until they get to the face of the cos I They are in reality working nine and l half hours a day"
 . Will Make "SuitabIe" Reply
 INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Oct. 26.-' suitable reply to President Wilson h statement, holding the impending co -a miners strike to be not only unjust 1, liable, but unlawful, probably will
 drawn up at the meeting of the inte :, national executive board of the Unit <, Mine Workers to be held here Wedne
 day, according to statement of w liam F. Green, secretary treasurer ~ the United Mine Workers. 5 Mir. Green declined to comment
 the presidents statement pending su '- action as the board may take, furth
 than to say that 1t is an impossibili
 now to rescind the strike order, effe
 tive November l.
 T suppose that suitable reply D. the presidents statement will be dra- a. up at the meeting Wednesday," s; l. MT. Green. The meeting had alrea of been called for that date, but consit k ration of the presidents statement V ", now be the most important busin,
 before the board"