The Washington times., 1913-03-15
DANIELS To DECIDE
BLUNDY CASE TODAY
Secretary, Whose Sympathy Is
With Wife, Would "Temper
Red Tape With Mercy"

Secretary of the Navy Daniels late
this afternoon will wrestle for one hour
with the problem of whether he may
properly release William Blundy, de-
serter seaman
His sympathy is keenly with the brave
little woman. Mrs. Blundy. who resorted
to strategy. with her four-year-old son
as the chief assistant, in a plan to carry
her dramatic appeal to President Will
son. He wants to help her. but he is
not certain that he can take the step
which would release Blundy from the
navy service, and perhaps open the way
to a desertion of the wife.
The Navy Relief League finds that
under its constitution 1t cannot aid
Mrs. Blundy. She now receives her hus-
bands pay, as a sympathetic conces-
sion to her poverty-stricken needs. This
leaves the situation entirely in the
hands Of the navy officials or with pri-
vate persons.
The full data is in the hands of Sec
retary Daniels. Before night he will
decide on Blundy's fate. In the mean
time. there is strong prospect that
Mrs. Blundy will suffer a severe ner-
vous relapse unless her husband is
freed. She insists. in the face of a
compromising record, that her husband
loves her as she loves him. She says
he would support her properly IL re-
leased.
Record Against Husband.
The sympathy of the Navy Depart
ment head Is with Mrs Blundy, but not
so strongly with the susband. The
records show that he left her to rejoin
the navy under an assumed name, after
he had established a good paying busi-
ness as chauffeur following his deser-
ton of the service. He knew, too. that
she was about to become a mother.
He knew also that she had no way of
supporting herself, her seventeen
month-old baby. Ellen. and her four
year-old son, William. jr. Under the
circumstances. there appears this af-
ternoon to be no likelihood that full
pardon will be given Biundy.
Some provision may be made, how
ever. for a conditional release from
Portsmouth. N. H., navy yard, with
chance to re-enter the service. Even
then Mrs. Blundy would have no more
money than she Is now receiving under
the kindly dispensation of the Navy
Departments special ruling.
Mrs. Blundy's fearful appeal, her
strong confidence in the erring hus-
band, and the child love of little Will
liam have presented a heart interest
problem that has troubled secretary
Daniels. While he does not want to
establish a precedent. he wishes to aid
the woman all he can.
Will Decide Before Night.
This afternoon. with the records in
the case and a pile Of naval law books
before him, Mr. Daniels will wrestle
over the case. BY night he expects TO
decide the fate Of the little woman's
husband.
The Secretary desired to terminate the
case as early as possible. To dc So he
decided this noon that he would forego
a trip to his home In Raleigh. n. c.,
which he had planned for this after
noon.
Mrs. BIundy is patiently waiting the
Secretary's answer. At her home, in
Mt. Vernon, n Y, she thinks the Sec
retary will grant the pardon. which she
says she wants more than anything else
in the world.
This statement is what makes the
situation more complex for Mr.. Daniels.
He realizes that his answer may bring
on a serious condition, 30 he is trying
to temper red tape" with mercy.