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

Is combating the rad1CaHsm that WOULD go TO t1e
point of violence. It's local leaders in the field
are men who have been known for years to the
miners and the fact that they have held their
offices through many severe trials speaks for it
self of their trustworthiness"
Let us say first that the UhIWA. has not a
single member on strike in Western Pennsylva-
mia. It has not called any strike, it has organ
lied no miners and its handful of members con-
sists of hangers-on of the companies and the po-.
ltical machines of the various counties and
towns who are not working In the mines and
have not been in the mines for years.
The UMWA leadership activities In this
struggle are openly directed by the operators
and their press. They are trying to put over the
most shameless and brutal betrayal in the his
tory of the class struggle since the steel strike
of 1920.
Governor Pinchot is assisting this program to
the best of his ability. AS result of the ire
mendous pressure of this mass revolt, and fol-
lowing a sharp and public letter to Pinchot by
the National Miners Union demanding the with
drawal Of armed forces from the strike aren, and
citing the numerous cases of nlurderous attacks.
Two days later Pinchot announced in the earlier
editions of the press that he had ordered an in
vestigation. The N.M.U. and the Pennsylvania
District Rank and File Strike Committee imme-
diately issued statement declaring that they
we're prepared to furnish the investigators thou
sands Of statements or affidavits if necessary,
to prove that the majority of the miners and
their families and the unemployed in Western
Pennsylvania are living under slave and STAR
Vation conditions; that the military mobiliza-
ton against the miners Is more extensive than
in any previous struggle; that the violence in
the strike areas is the result of attacks of the
oft he
government had either authorized or sent in;
that unar1ned miners had been forced to defend
the lives of themselves and their wives and chill
dren against military forces equipped with the
most modern armament; that they we're pre-
pared to prove the existence of conspiracy of
the U.M.W,A. and operators to drive the miners
back to work under starvation conditions.
In the later editions of the papers Pinchot an
nounced that his investigation would be secret
The coal operators showed how much they
feared Pinchot's investigation by having their
deputy sheriffs at the Kinloch mine shoot down
three strikers in coldblood about two hours after
the announcement had been niade-on the after
noon of June 10.
Pinchot's investigation Is designed to wash
the blood of miners from the hands of the oper-
ators-and his own-and to further the starva-
ton and enslavement of the miners and their
families. Governor Pinchot shares equally with
the coal operators, the coal and steel paper edf-
tors, and the army of thugs now in the coal
camps the blame for the shooting, clubbing,
casing and failing Of starving men, women and
children
The front against the miners extends from the
federal government in Washington, through the
capital of the keystone state, to the city adj
ministration Of Pittsburgh, the home of Andy
Mellon, secretary Of the U. S. treasury, now
abroad on mission of peace and goodwill
that, is, organizing the inlperialst forces against
the Soviet Union-to the steel and coal barons.
the county governments, the press and the coal
and iron police, state cossacks, and sheriffs and
their deputies-and the officials of the UMW.A.
These are the forces against the miners and
their fainilies-75,Ooo members of the working
class.
As the az Nembers Of the Western Fennsyl-