Mr. REECE. What was the attitude of the officials at West Point when this alleged marriage was discovered? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Some of the junior officers told me they would do anything to help me. Others said they were surprised at the action of the War Department in forcing my resignation. General Sladen has been kind enough to say that if the case should be sent back to him he would be willing to recommend my reinstatement. An officer down at the War Department yesterday told me that General Sladen was in favor of my going back. General Sladen told my brother also that he would favor my reinstatement. Mr. REECE. What explanation, if any, did this girl or her brother give you after she admitted that she was not in a delicate condition? Mr. BLEAKNEY. There was no explanation given. I did not see her after the marriage until in June, 1925, and that was for only about two hours. She did not offer any explanation. Mr. REECE. Did you question her about it? Mr. BLEAKNEY. No, sir; we never said anything about her. I told this girl before we went to the ceremony that there could not possibly be anything wrong with her so far as I was concerned. She said she knew there was, and that it had been determined, meaning, I suppose, that she had consulted a physician. Mr. REECE. Did she seem to be normal? Mr. BLEAKNEY. No, sir; she was not. She had not been well for some time before that, and at the time of our alleged marriage she seemed to be very nervous and almost hysterical. Mr. REECE. Do you think that she really felt she was in a delicate condition? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir; I really think she was honest in her conclusion. However, my family thinks that in her condition of poor health in general she suddenly decided that she wanted to get married at once and she probably employed that means to force me to go through the ceremony, even though she knew, as I knew, that I was in no way responsible for her alleged delicate condition. Mr. REECE. Who are her parents and what standing have they? Mr. BLEAKNEY. She comes from a very good family, and she herself graduated from a college in New England last June. I may state that her father and mother know nothing about this. Her father is an attorney at law and he was the mayor of his home town. Mr. REECE. How large is the town in which she lived? Mr. BLEAKNEY. It consists of about 15,000 or 20,000 people. Mr. GLYNN. If the marriage was annulled and you did not live with this girl, I suppose the purport of that is that there was no marriage? Mr. BLEAKNEY. The court found that we had never lived together as man and wife, and that the marriage was not consummated. Mr. REECE. But there is no question about violation of the Military Academy regulations. The thing to consider is whether Mr. Bleakney felt that he was compelled to go through this marriage ceremony. Mr. GLYNN. How long after your marriage did you bring proceedings for annullment? Mr. BLEAKNEY. We were married on October 4, 1924, and I brought proceedings in August of 1925. I could not do much because I could not get off the reservation. I wanted to keep the thing as quiet as possible, and even my family did not know anything about it. Mr. REECE. What was the basis of the dissolution? Mr. BLEAKNEY. I was granted the decree in August, 1925, on account of duress, fraud, misrepresentation, and force. The supreme court ruled that there had not been a marriage, in that it was not consummated. Mr. REECE. Have you a copy of the court's decree? Mr. BLEAKNEY. It is in the files of the War Department. In fact there are two decrees. The first is unfavorable to me, but the final determination of the court is very strongly favorable to me. Mr. REECE. Did you have a hearing about this matter while at the Military Academy? Mr. BLEAKNEY. No, sir. General Sladen asked me if I was married. The alleged marriage had been annulled and I consulted an attorney who told me to state that I was not married. Mr. GLYNN. Did you receive a written communication from General Sladen? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir. The general later said to my brother that he was in my favor, but that he was powerless to save me on account of the attitude taken by War Department. When the papers came down here it seemed that the Judge Advocate General of the Army at once became very much set against me, and he has consistently and persistently fought me hard. Mr. REECE. Had you served in the Army before you went to the academy? I Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir. I was on the Mexican border for a month. I was in a training camp for officers during the war. won a pilot's wings in the Air Service. I was sent down to Kelly Field, Tex., and served there for quite a while. Mr. GLYNN. Were you a flyer? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir; I got my wings. That was before I went to West Point. Mr. REECE. In what arm of the service did you serve? Mr. BLEAKNEY. I was in the Signal Corps of the National Guard of the State of New York, and I was also in the Cavalry. Then, as I have said, I was in the Air Service. Mr. REECE. How old are you at this time? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Twenty-six. If you gentlemen feel that you could act favorably on this bill, I should very much like to have you do so as soon as practicable, because the time is getting very short, and unless I am reinstated at once I am afraid there is no chance in the future. I have the assurance of Senator Wadsworth that he will put the bill through the Senate very soon, if you gentlemen feel disposed to favor me with a favorable report, for which I would thank you very kindly. One of the main things about this case, and one that is worrying me very much, is the charge against my character by the Judge Advocate General of the Army. He has charged me with cowardice, and even worse. Mr. REECE. Did he make a statement of charges against you? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir; to Senator Wadsworth. The substance of one of his charges is that, while I did not break the regulations at West Point, I must have been immoral in my relations with this girl, and that is why he dismissed me, or rather, approved the legality of my dismissal. General Hull admitted to my brother and my sister also that I had not broken the regulations. These adverse remarks have found their way to my friends in New York, and they militate against me very strongly. This is not only in a social way, but it makes it very hard indeed for me when I seek employment. I believe I may say that the most important thing in this whole affair is to clear my good name, and I feel that if I could go back to the academy that would clear my good name, after this painful experience. Mr. REECE. Did you intend to remain in the Army? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir; I had hoped to go into the Air Service. Mr. REECE. Can you furnish the committee with a copy of the court's decree in this matter? Mr. BLEAKNEY. Yes, sir; I think I can get it from the files of the War Department. Mr. REECE. I would suggest that you do so and have it sent to the committee. We will take the case under advisement. (Thereupon the committee at 1 o'clock p. m., adjourned.) INDEX Barrett, George, for the relief of, H. R. 1539_ Bleakney, William R., for reinstatement at West Point, H. R. 10363 Brown, C. C.: Statement of on H. R. 6854_. Statement of on H. R. 6058_ Bowman, Hon. Frank L., statement on H. R. 7680. Johnson, Hon. Albert, statement on H. R. 2324 Johnson, Hon. Royal C., statement on H. R. 5028. Ledwell, Edward R., for the relief of, H. R. 4119. McNeill, Maj. Chauncey S., for the retirement of, H. R. 7680.- Macpeake, Henry J., for the retirement of, H. R. 6808.... Magill, John, for the relief of, H. R. 2165- Morehead, John H., statement on H. R. 6921 Nicholson, General, for the promotion of, H. R. 5028. Nugent, Fred R., for the relief of, H. R. 6017.. Rothwell, Chester A., for the reappointment of, H. R. 9984_ о |