Indiana daily times., 1920-10-25
LEWIS ASKS AID
OF PRES. WILSON
Seeks Arbitration of Strike in
Alabama Fields.

Enforcement of war time legislation
prohibiting the hampering Of production
Of necessities to force coal mine op-
orators OF Alabama to arbitrate in a
strike of 1000 miners of that state is
asked of President Wilson in telegram
sent by John L. Lewis, president Of the
United Mine Workers of America.
The operators are accused in the note
Of refusing to entertain proposals for
arbitration advanced by the mine work
ers and Of using the blacklist and other
forbidden methods to crush them.
The fact that the Government is now
prosecuting officials of the miners
union under the wartime production
laws IS pointed out and It Is suggested
by Mr.. Lewis that the President direct
the Department OF Justice to enforce the
same laws against the Alabama opera
tors.
Reviewing the Alabama situation Mr..
Lewis says the miners are on strike for
the right of collective bargaining, which,
he says, was guaranteed them and all
other works by the Government for
the period of the war in your proclama-
tion Of April s, 1913. which was recon-
mended by the bituminous coal commits
sion in its award, which has the sanction
Of an enlightened world opinion, as
evidenced by the labor provisions Of the
peace treaty, which was affirmed by
your second industrial conference and
which is pledged in the Democratic na-
tional platform adopted at San Francisco.
ssThese II coo mine workers have de-
pendent upon them some 1900 women
and $4,000 children" the message conin-
Ues.
This great number of people are being
fully meager fare contributed by the
Mine Workers Union. Poverty in its
most terrible form stalks through the
mining camps OF Alabama. accompanied
By the twin spectres of malnutrition and
disease. Every conceivable instrument OF
oppression is being used against these
people by the powerful interests associat-
ed IN the coal industry of Alabama.
Thousands Of eviction suits have oc-
CURED and in multiplicity of instances
writs of attachments have been issued
and the household furniture and personal
possessions Of the miners families have
been carted away from their humble
domiclle;- The mining villages are beine
pollced By private gunner in the employ
or the coal operators and indignities and
"utrages have been inflicted upon the
mine workers and their families"
onlclais of Alabama are accused OF
seemingly cooperating with the coal
operators" by the maintenance Of eleven
companies of State militia In the coal
nelds ad the invasion Of constitutional
rights Of free speech by this force
Two offers Of arbitration plans one
eentel1ng around the Governor of Ala.
hama and the other around President
Wilson. have been rejected. Mr.. Levi,
says.
AS the authorized representative Of
tne 100000 mine workers who are mem
bers Of the United Mine Workers o,
America and who ardentIy sympathizs
with the great struggle now being
waged by the Alabama mine workers I
most earnestly urge that you imme-
diately direct the Department of Jus
tice of the United States Government To
institute such legal proceedings as NAV
be necessary to compel observance OF
the principle Of collective bargaining and
the protection of the civil rights of the
mine workers Of Alabama. We believe
that this action on your part is war
ranted by every consideration of Justice
and fair dealing. IN any action taken
by the Government in this matter I
pledge to you, sir. the full cooperation
of the United Mine Workers Of America. .