The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-10-17
Facing The Facts
With PHILIP PEARL

hSWiS ie'S pullcu d pooA,ooV OOiiSi'
The story comes to US by way of the
Chicago Tribune of Sept. 20, and if
the facts, as published, are correct,
they constitute a scandal that every
miner in the nation ought to know
about.
The story says that Lewis secretly
loaned 1861 900 of the funds of the
United Mine Workers Of America tc
Josephine Roche in order to help her
save her company, the Rocky Noun.
tain Fuel Company, from closing
down.
Now, it appears, the company has
applied to the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation for a $475,0C0 loan in
order to straighten out it's finances
and to pay back Lewis. According
to the Chicago Tribune, the RFC has
turned down the loan on the ground
that it was not satisfied with the finan
cial condition of the company and felt
financial reorganization was neces-
sary before the Government coul6
lend it such large sum.
The newspaper asked Thomas Ken
nedy, secretary-treasurer of the United
Mine Workers, how much money tho
company owed the union. He is quoted
as replying:
81 couldn't tell you offhand."
Asked whether the total was 1851, >
600, Mr.. Kennedy quickly responded
"I'm sorry, l couldn't discuss the
matter at ALL"
Full Investigation Needed
We believe that the members Of the
United Mine Workers will force Lewis
and Kennedy to discuss the matter
and in great detail. After all it is
their money that is involved. The
sum of 1851 900 is neat package. 1t
represents one fifth of the total re-
sources of the union. The miners
have a right to know what Lewis has
done with their funds.
The fact that they don't know and
that no one knows is an indictment of
Lewis dictatorship. The Chicago Tri-
bune says:
$50 secretive had the deal been kept
that Jesse Jones, Federal Loan Ad-
ministrator, said that he was amazed
to learn of Lewis interest-and Jones
usually knows the history of his
(RFC) loans from A to z.
Lewis is in vulnerable spot with
the union because the collateral for
the loans is worth only about one
tenth of the sum loaned.
"In desperation, Lewis has sent a
management company from Cleveland,
the Coal Mine Management Company,
headed by William Taylor, to take
over the company and Stabilize it fl
nancially' This management firm tenn
porarily exercises control Of the COM
pany for the duration of its contract
and gets siEeSy7~ fee."
We cannot voueh for the accuracy
of these statements, but we believe
they show the need for full and
complete investigation.
| Exit TOledanO
We also see by the papers that
Vincent Lombardo Toledano, the
"John l.. Lewis of Mexico" has final
ly been kicked out of office as ex-
ecutive secretary in name and die
tator in fact of the Mexican Confed-
Grafton of Labor.
Toledano is the Communist leader
of Mexico and for some years has
exercised powerful behindthe-scenes
influence over the Mexican Govern,
ment. 1t was he who was chiefly in,
strumental in bringing about the ex'
preparation of American and British
oil properties in Mexico. 1t was he
who invited John l.. Lewis and Edwin
S. Smith, of the National Labor Rela.
tions Board, to address a Communist
mass meeting in the Mexico City bul
ring-an invitation which was accept.
ed with alacrity.
Toledano was succeeded, according
to an international News Service dis
patch, by Fidel Velasquez, "who owec
his rise in Mexican labor to his con
sistent fight against Toledano's al
legedly Communistic tendencies"
Furthermore, it is reported thai
only week or two ago Genera
Manuel Avia Camacho, the new Pres
ident of Mexico, publicly repudiatet
Toledano and that this marked "tht
beginning of the end" of the Com
munist labor chief.
1t seems to us that there are sig
nifcant elements Of resemblance be
tween the fate that has overtakel
Toedano and the one that is rapid!
approaching John l.. Lewis in thi
country 1t is unnecessary for US t.
point out the parallel. Just thinl
over the facts and see if it doesn'
appear more and more certain nov
thnt | eMiS iS ON his WaX out