The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-07-28
v. R. &E. CO.
TO FIGHT FOR
WAR CITATION
Technical SquabbIe Seen as
Ham Drafts Reply to Demand
For Return of Honor.

W. +. Ham. president OF the wash
inston Railway and Electric Com
pany, will be required to return the
citation conferred BY the Navy ana
War departments. officials In the Of
nee OF Col. Arthur Woods. assistants 20
Secretary Baker, said today.
The War Department requested the
Immediate return" Of the eitation.
when the w. r. & z. refused 70 re-
employ william S. Sheets. honorably
discharged a. a major OF engineers,
who had been employed BY the com
pany for several years preceding the
war.
Mr.. Ham yesterday prepared q re-
ply TO the demand voiced BY the War
Department, and indications are that
controversy crammed with techni-
ealities will take place over the Sheets
case.
The War Department, according 20
Colonel Woods office this morning, -
determined to obtain the citation, de-
spite any and all efforts the W. R e 2.
may put forth to retain the paper.
Say sheets Worked fer PepeO.
Mr.. Ham, in his reply to the War
Departments demand. declares that
Sheets was an employee Of the Potomae
Electric Power Company and not the
W. r & E., and that since the eta
ton was issued only to the ". r & e.
IL didn't count as q violation OF tbs
terms II a former "Pepco'' worker q
refused employment.
Officials in Colonel Woods, office to-
day declared that since the street
railway company and the electric pew
er company are under one head. diff
ferent attitude toward returned sol
diers in the two plants could not be
Justly adopted
One army officer under Colonel
Woods, who is considerably aroused
over the case. made remarks about
DIR. Jexyll and Mr.. Hyde while dis
cussing the matter this morning.
Major Sheets Is now convaleseing
from an illness lasting nearly three
months, and which took him TO slck
bed shortly after he had returned
from service and applied for his old
position.
~Never Asked For cIfatIon.S
President Ham, in answer to the
accusations Of the War Departments Of
ncials. declares that he never asked
for the citation; but that 1t was ae-
eepted on the suggestion OF the War
and Navy Departments.
On this point. as on several others
in the controversy, Mr.. Ham and the
War Department disagree. In the
communication made public yesterday
the War Department states that Mr..
Ham applied for the citation.
Mr.. Ham claims when he received
the citation he made II clear that
the policy Of the company would be TO
re-employ as far as possible every
one who left the service to enter that
Of the Government during the great
war"
Officers under Colonel Woods OBJ
jected today to the use Of the term
"as far as possible" in Mr.. Hams
statement, and said that the citation
would not have been issued IL Mr..
Ham had not promised to take back
all men who left his employ to serve
in the army, r.ryy or marine corps.
VIII Demand Return.
Colonel Woods is out OF Washing
ton today. but he is expected back
within 4 day or two, and War Depart
ment officials say that the return OF
the citation will then be speedily re-
quired Of Mr.. Ham.
In its statement about Mr.. Ham
the War Department states that q
has been obliged to assume the role
OF ''Injun giver" in one case only-the
W. r. & E.-out Of the thousands OF
citations awarded.
Major Sheets, who was active for
fourteen months in France, returned
to this country February 8, 1919. The
War Department declares that when
he applied for his old job he was in
formed with regrets" that his place
had been filed and that there Is no
opening just at present" or words
to that effect.
Major Sheets is planning to take
an examination to enter the Govern
msnt service as soon as he RECEIVERS
from his illness.