OCR Text |
Show INSURING OUR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS That a nation owes much to its citizens who have fought its battles and to their families when they have been killed or injured so as to destroy des-troy or impair their capacity to provide pro-vide for their families has always been recognized by the United States. This just and generous pol icj of our country as administered under our pension system has been unduly costly and has not always been just. One of the proposed uses of the proceeds of the Liberty Loan I is to give life and indemnity insur-; insur-; ance to our soldiers and sailors and i to provide allowances to their depen , dent families while they are in the , ranks. The plan worked out by the secre-! secre-! tary of the Treasury McAdoo and his j coadjutors and approved by the Fresident has been emoouiea in a bill which is now pending in Congress Con-gress As to the justness and right-ousness right-ousness of this insurance to outfighting out-fighting men Secretary McAdoo says: "Military service in the United States is obligatory; those who imperil themselves have no election. The insurance in-surance companies do not and can not permit this to affect their calculations. calcula-tions. They must protect themselves by charging premiums so high that they are secured against loss no matter mat-ter how severe the rate of mortality may be. Consequently the very men who are called into the service because be-cause their physical condition is of the best and who as civilians would for that reason be able to secure the peace time, are denied as soldiers the necessary life insurance to enable them to protect their families and dependents. The extra hazardous risks of war puts insurance entire!-' beyond the reach of the conscripted soldier. "The government which subjects these men to this insurmoutable dis crimination should itself supply insurance in-surance to its soldiers at cost and up on the peace basis. It would in fact be dastardly and undemocratic if the government should penalize the sol-, dier who is forced to render the highest duty of the citizen, by failing fail-ing to provide for him war insurance upon peace terms and at net cost. The pay of th't? enlisted men in the Army and Navy is less than the wages and salaries generally earned in private pri-vate life and government insurance is an essential war and emergency measure inauguarated for the specific benefit of our military forces and can not and should not be conducted tor profit. "This legislation will be a great step forward in the recognition of the Republic's duty to its heroes. It deserves earnest and vigorous support sup-port of the country. The United States should set the highest example examp-le of all the nations in the treatment of those who do and die for their country and for world freedom." |