Show I 1 HOW THE government strengthens 1 FIGHTER AND safeguards HIS ROME HOME I 1 uncle sams war risk insurance offers protection at cot cost government assumes all administrative costs and extra war hazards business exceeds by several hundred per cent largest insurance company in world 0 JAMES H COLLINS from committee on public information on october 0 1017 the war risk it in law went nt into effect brov providing I 1 d for protection of our soldiers sailors and marines an anil d their families on april 0 6 1918 1019 only six months tater later uncle sam had written upp approximately roxi of war risk insurance on ills his fighting forces covering upward olf of persons lit in the military and naval service rl for or allotment mens s and allowances alone opp approximately roxi checks aggregating more than have already been sent it will not be long before the bureau will be sent sending lim out a million checks a month we have spoken of it as the lie war risk insurance lav ta technically this Is 19 correct actually it is misleading i for the legislation that went into effect on october 0 1917 1017 wits was really a group of its tour four acts co bordinat ed for a common purpose the first measure in tills this unprecedented program of protection Is the system of allotments and allowances in which the tighter fighter and the government are partners for the care of the families milles fa bf till all enlisted men in the military or naval sen service ice I 1 tiie the second measure provides for stated compensation for death and disability incurred in the line of duty this Is the modern american tuto tute for pensions the compensation which ranges from 20 to a month Is paid automatically by thle government to certain specified beneficial les regardless of rank or pay and without any cost to the recipient 11 the third measure 0 of protection is 11 outright insurance against death and total permanent permin ent disability in this tile united states is a pioneer among the nations of the world offering insurance up tip to to every member of its fighting forces tit at net pence peace rates the government assumes kill all overhead charges and costs of ad thus making tile the rates almost incredibly low this insurance Is a supplemental form of protection stimulating thrift and strengthening self respect immensity of bureaus work the fourth measure of protection embodied in the military and naval insurance act Is the system of re edu cation and rehabilitation of the men disabled in the war in itself a task of vital itu importance and great magnitude the fl figures given convoy convey an idea of the immensity of the bureaus work the insurance now on tile the books of the bureau of war risk insurance exceeds by sl several hundred per cent the insurance held by the largest life insurance company tit in the world to cope avith ith the hydra headed problem imposed upon it the bureau pf af war risk insurance lins has been forced to expand at an exceedingly rapid rate the bureau now occupies spice space in eight separate buildings covering an area of more inore than square foot and lias has a personnel of more than 3 SOO working in ili two shifts from nino I 1 1 clock lit in the mornin till midnight it may inny be asked athy the government tn in addition to family allowances and liberal compensation should offer insurance against death and disability to its fighting men the justification for this innovation Is simply this the government by ct calling illing a man to nr ar takes him into the most hazardous business in the world and thus destroys his insurability in return it Is only fitting aind and proper that the government should go into the I 1 insurance if business s for his benefit private ingui insurance aiice companies 3 collide not possibly insure sold soldiers lers and sallo except lit prohibitive rates ralea at n conference of life insurance inta tives thes in washington when the I 1 I 1 ent net was discussed it ft was stated that 58 a thousand wits was the lowest fig tire ire at nt which tiny any company could afford to accept soldiers s and sall 01 s as risks and baat lat only or one year 1 tims life insurance under tinder the government system would cost I 1 d n solda L r twenty six years old would cost about with a private insurance company this thi s Is I 1 arcely larg cl explained by the gover governments rim e 1 1 ts liberality in itself assuming all th the c f nd ld costs and tha alie extra war war h a supplants pension system the entire system of protection afforded by the government is lit in the words of A major general in tile army an element of victory in the present wai wa r families provided for means fighters unafraid the difference between the old pension system and the modern system which atch has it Is clearly demonstrated demonstrate a by the case ase of mrs mis betty ingraham Ing thild sheet klaft city ala ain the first wom woman an to receive a check from the bureau of war risk insurance for a soldier 0 or r sailor icell killed lul 1 jp B action in the present war her son gunners brit mate osmond kelly ingraham was killed hilled october 15 1917 when tile U S S cassin was attacked by bv a german submarine under tho the terms of the military and naval insurance act mrs ingraham Ingi aham be being ing a widowed mother dependent up on oil tier son for support will receive 20 per month as long as she lives unless she re lem arrles marries furthermore slie she Is entitled to 20 25 a month for months under the i insurance provision of the act her son had not made specific application for foi insurance but up to february Febi uary 12 1918 automatic insurance I 1 for approximately was provided thus mrs Ing will receive a total of 45 per month from the united states government it if tier her son had applied for of insurance ce she would vv receive a month under the pension laws section revised statutes as as amended by the act of june 27 1890 mrs Ingra liam llam would have hav been entitled to 12 a month e such Is the chasm chasin between the old and the new the vast amount of correspondence which comes to the bureau of war risk insurance Is steeped in human interest stories of heroism and lofty patriotism are aie found by the thousands in the letters received tit at the bureau many mothers and fathers have returned checks sent to them by the government ern ment declaring that the government needs the money at this cruet crucial at hour to win file he war keeps home fires burning the bureau of war risk insurance Is keeping the hot home no fires burning but it Is doing more than that it Is keeping americas fighting fol foicey ces confident and reassured A bluejacket on oil oneff one of the battleships after signing the application for of government gov eminent insurance dropped his pen and said 1 1 I have taken care of my family now I 1 can go out and fight like blazes thousands of families throughout the country are directly and vitally affected by the allotment and allowance feature of the war insurance law every married enlisted man in the army und and navy roust must allot from his pay every in month brith at least 15 a month and not more than halt half lit ills pay toward tho the support of his wife nna and children to this allotment the government adds certain allowances depending upon tji thesle esie of the family in addition I 1 the I 1 I 1 e enlist pl man may mav make e some further provision for othe relatives and in case of deperi dependency dency tile de govern nent will add certain allowances uhe the bureau of war risk insurance therefore must keep heep a tremendous fiting 11 ug and cross filing system covering every enlisted person in the nations service find and this menus mean s millions of curds cards millious ils of bookkeeping and financial operations thousands 0 ot f awards and thousands of checks goin ing out every month the blaak t decter of poverty the humiliation of charity charily the silent suffering of penniless pride these anre eliminated by the government protection when the thenan nan man Is lighting fighting after lit ats fighting is ova over government compensation pensa tion and government insurance are then called upon to play their part in the ibe work of protection protect ign persons pel sons who have business with tile the bureau of war risk insurance as aa beneficiaries or otherwise need not in any circumstances employ claim gents or provide lawyers the bureau of war risk insurance will cheerfully furnish full ful legal flegal advice adilee and assistance si Secre secretary iary meadeo has vigorously denounced the nefarious activities of claim gents agents a and others who would prey upon dependents of men i killed anea in battle by ex exacting unnecessary fees and requiring useless litiza eions claims paid promptly actual insurance checks mailed ma aled to tho th dependents of a old ler or sailor who has been killed in battle or died 0 of f disease djs ase Involve very few complications making for delay these ance claims are paid promptly after ileath U uncle nele sams aral war ilsk insurance had the selling advantage of a very attractive late rate and alsola also a wide popular interest roused by the contingencies of war ev even t it so a certain amount 0 of f work was enec necessary essary to roll up p n largo large body of policyholders policy holders A very brief experience during the he first few weeks demonstrated that educational work was necessary some well organized effort looking toward explanation so that every soldier sailor hallor marine nurse and coast guard man would know what might be obtained under till this s law that Is to say 1 know no iv their rights therefore during tle the in month anth of january u ry man men were detailed in pavery every cantonment and on every ship to undertake the work of explanation it was found that hundreds of trained insurance men were available in the army ind and navy and these as well as 0 oral di berg interested in the welfare of their men inen were arrayed for a general cam leaders in this movement vere assembled at the war risk insurance bureau in washington f for or three lays dayh instructions Instruct ansti notions lons returning to their posts nil all over the country prepared to explain insurance in detail A spirit of friendly rivalry wes created among regiments and other kotlier units of the he fighting forces on vind land and sea many officers made it a pride to have every one of the men bindel dundei them insured Ins tired very often t to 0 tho the enten engirt amount allowed under the law which I 1 Is i average Is a man the latest figures show that tha tilie alie av 1 emige amount of bf lasur insurance ance taken out by ow our fighters Is upward ard of per ninn it was estimated as early I 1 as y 12 1918 that the annerl can aminy both liere here and abroad was 00 90 per cent insured by uncle sam final figures for the navy tire not yet available but the blue jackets are known to have responded As long as new men tire lire called to the c colors olora uncle sams insurance campaign agn will W continue without let up insurance means indans preparedness pare pa redness driess preparedness means lit lc tory 1 this is one of the many battle cites alch vilich are arraying u all american in ili the insurance ranks the luk insurance act iz Is al ad ministered by theare th the etre I 1 tien asairy sury rigid and tile the work of carrying out its ts pro visions Is under alie the close of aary mcadoo who proposed to the con congress congles gres 9 the measure creating the bureau and who has had personal charge of 1 the lie organization of this new fo fonn aln of government activity its suc success is Is very close to his heart because he sees in it not only a great hu ninni tarlan piece of bringing S security e carity and justice to those I 1 who defend our ur kag flag and to their dependents but I 1 ut also an caro ariment which I 1 may lead to broader lit human wrin benefits in the future I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 |