The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-13
BY BILL DUNE.

- see T.
NEVER in the history of the desperate struggles
~ in the mining industry in Western Pennsy1-
varlia have the workers as whole-Negro men
and women, striking miners, unemployed miners
men, women and children-displayed such hero
ism and determination as is to be seen every day
and night-on the mass picket lines and march
es on what the Pittsburgh papers call the no
mile coal mine battle 'front.'
This is not alone the opinion of organizers of
the National Anners-who might be accused Of
being partial-~but Of cynical newspaper report
ers and federal labor conciliators who have OBJ
served the bitter struggles-and betrayals-of
the miners for the last decade. More than this
The miners consciously and willingly accept the
program and leadership of the N.M.U. and their
Rank and File Strike Committee elected right
from the mines
federal conciIiator who visited the office
Of the N.HU. June said: MY checkup of the
strike field shows that IS per cent of the min
ers are for the N.MU. There is no denying
this"
Even In this district where every mining camp
has been the scene of fierce class battles for a
decade in the steel trust-controlled state whose
state police made clear to American workers the
meaning Of the term 'cossack" for Russian
workers under the car, the attacks on the picket
lines and mass marches, the intimidation in the
homes of the miners, the scope and character of
these attacks the size of the armed forces en-
ployed in these assaults, are practically without
parallel
U.MW.A. Exposes Itself.
The UMwA. officials-Fagan and Co.-have
denounced the National Miners Union but they
have remained unrnoved by the sight of 200 men,
women and children of the mine fields beaten
and bleeding from club and bullet wounds re-
ceved at the hands of coal and iron police state
cossacks and sheriff's deputies. They remained
unmoved by the sight of dozens of unarmed VIC
Inns of the scientifically equipped state forces
yasping from tear gas, unn1oved by the sight
Of wounded miners arrested by their victorious"
assailants. charged with melting to riot, held
under $1,000 bail or sentenced to 80 days in Jail
Tor resisting arrest"
Pardon my error: said they remained I'M
moved. On the contrary, they are gladdened by
sll this Not only have they Issued no statement
senouncing the attacks but they fraternize
openly with the armed thugs and after each at
lack issue press statements saying that "the
UMW.A is making progress" Parenthetically,
we might remark here that on the afternoon Of
June Pat Pagan personally made very rapid
progress-out of the town Of MoIenaur, with
300 enraged miners at his heels.
The strike continues to spread Miners at
mines which no N.MU. organizer has been able
to reach call up and report that they have
struck and elected strike committee. The pick
citing goes on. The mass marches and demon
STATIONS are carried through. Mass meetings
continue in spite Of sheriffs proclamations to
the effect that any gathering of more than
three persons in the strike area is illegal and will
be dispersed.
It would be foolish to say that the attacks
and the huge display of military force had not
created great difficulties. 1t would be insane to
think that the state of Pennsylvania does not
possess sufficient military and police resources
to crush the strike by force. But the unadorned
facts are that the men, women and children OF
the Western Pennsylvania coal fields show no
ave whatever in the face Of the armed forces,