The Washington times., 1919-07-27
j. S. REVOKES !
WAR CITATION
FOR W.R.&E
Company Said to Have Refused
to Re-empIOy Army Men De-
spite Pledge to Do So.

Because the Washington Railway
and Electric Company is alleged ~
the War Department to have failed
! to observe the terms Of the eitatItn
given during the war jointly BY tie
War and Navy Departments. W. =.
Ham, president OF the company has
been asked TO return Il.
The citation. according to Col. A.
thur Woods, assistant 70 the Secrs-
tary OF War. Is given to all those
employers OF labor in the United
states who promises to re-employ all
the men who formerly were with
them and left to serve IN the army
or navy during the war. II % signed
by the Secretaries OF War and NaVy
and by Col. Arthur Woods. repre-
senting the War and Navy Depart
ments
william S. Sheets. honorably an
charged as a major Of engineers, add
formerly employed by the W. r. AID
z. was refused employment BY the
company after he returned from serv-
Ice. according to the War Depart
ment.
ORicialu Take Action.
It is upon Mr. Sheets complaint
that the War Department has based
its action asking for the return OF
the citation by the W. r. and E.
Following IL q letter which was
sent yesterday from the Office Of
Colonel Woods to Mr.. Ham:
"on June %. 1913, you wrote 70
this office requesting that a Govern
ment citation be issued to you under
the terms or which, As stated Ga the
citation, you promised the War and
Navy Departments to re-empIoy All
nose who formerly worked for you
and left to serve in the great war,
This citation was sent to you.
On or about July 2. William &
sheets. honorably discharged as 4 ma
Jor OF engineers, came to this ofacs
seeking assistance in finding proper
employment In civil life and stating
that he was formerly in your employ,
put that you refused to give him his
oId JOB upon his return from France
II appears that Major Sheets has
worked for you i've and one.half
years. He voluntarily left to serve
his country. He had a good record
with you and gave honorable service
In the army remaining in France for
= year.
"on July .. we wrote to you stat
ing the circumstances or the eass,
asking X the facts as stated were
true and IL it was not possible to r.
instate Major Sheets. on July IS
you replied to this letter as follows:
Reply From Ham.
Referring to your letter Of the
9Th, wish to state that the attitude
OF this company was stated in my
letter to yours OF June as EoIlows:
The policy OF this company Is TO ~
employ, as far as practicable, every
one who left It's service to enter that
OF the Government during the war
and We are very pleased to rs-employ
all who so request.
With regard to Major Sheets, for
merly employed by this company. I
had a personal interview with Major
Sheets some weeks ago, after he had
seen Mr.. L +. Sinclair, general super
intendent, and he was Informed that
1t would be impossible TO re-erpIoy
him in his old job. as the position had
been hlled and, there was no other
opening for him Regrettfng that We
cannot take him back in his old Pc
sition /"
Upon receipt OF this letter we took
the matter up with the United States
Chamber OF Commerce and with M.
John Joy Edison. giving them q history
Of the case and asking that they do
Eylu4ns IN IhelT power 20 have
Major Sheets reinstated. Their e.
forts were OF no avail. Gs both YOU
and your general superintendent. Mr..
L F. Sinclair. repeatedly refused "a
rE-enploy Major Sheets.
only Case Of Kind.
IT may tell you that out Of thou-
sands Of citations sent 70 fndividuaIs
and business firms all over the Uni
ted States, we have no instance OF
such lack Of recognition and dfsre-
gard Of the rights OF others as ex-
hibited in this case.
Under the circumstances we must
ask you to Immediately return the
citation which we gave you and
which we consider as cancelled from
this date.
by direction Of the Assistant to the
Secretary OF War. W. II Eobbe. AEa-
jOr. Engineers. U. S. A"