JUSTICE TO OUR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
Justice to Our Soldiers and Sailors Wisconsin Authority on Insurance Gives Views on Federal Risk Plan—Aided in Drafting Measure By HERMAN L. EKERN, Former Commissioner of Insurance of...
...Wolfe, of New York, and Miss Julia C. Lathrop, of the Department of Labor, had a large part in preparing this bill...
...In addition to the allotment by the man, the Unied States, in such case, will pay an allowance not exceeding $10 per month to two persons and $5 to each additions-person...
...Blanks for this purpose ajc now being distributed to all the njen and can be had also by applying to the Bureau of Military and Naval Insurance at Washington, I...
...The foregoing deals very generally with the main provisions of this far-reaching law...
...If he is totally and permanently disabled, whether in the service or later, it pays him $57.50' per month as long a? he lives...
...C. Every person in the service should take this insurance...
...The benefits are payable to a wife or child without regard to dependency...
...Sweet...
...It is intended to go with every man or woman in the service after the war and after discharge from the service right through life and ultimately to provide for the disability of old age...
...He is sure to want it later, if hot now...
...During the service this cost is deducted from his pay...
...For about $80 a year he gets an insurance protection which in case of service abroad can not be bought from the regular life insurance companies for less than from $500 to $1,5Q0 per year...
...The soldier' or sailor must, however, apply for it...
...William C. DeLaney, as Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance-, has charge of both the Marine and the Soldiers' and- Sailors' insurance, and Mr...
...The bill received the emphatic approval of President Wilson...
...The life insurance and the compensation extend to all in the service, including nurses and both men men and women...
...Here is what this 510,000 insurance will do for him and for his family...
...As in the case of the life insurance the plan is absolutely democratic, applying equally to the men and to the officers...
...These figures are for a full $10,000...
...Through Hon...
...Herman L. Ekern...
...Depending upon his age from year to year, the cost ranges from $0.30 per month at age 17, to $0.00 at age 25, $7.00 at age 31, $7.90 at age 39, $9.20 per month at age 45...
...It is permanent and takes no account of injury or impairment of health now or hereafter...
...The United States adds to this from $15 to $50 per month depending on the number of children...
...Medical and surgical aid and artificial limbs are also provided for...
...Some such change must be made by the insured within five years after the war...
...He may take as little as $1,-000 at proportionate rates, but, as he is sure when older to wRnt the maximum and no provision is made to permit him to increase the amount after the 120 days, he should take the full $10,000 now...
...still borne by the United States...
...The act includes provisions for allotments and allowances for support of the family and dependents while the breadwinner is in the service, and also for compensation benefits, to him and his dependents in case of his being injured or dying in the service...
...In case of death the compensation begins with $25 per month for a widow alone, increasing to $47.50 for a widow with two children, with $5 more for each additional child up to two...
...He was given charge of this matter by the National Council of Defense...
...The cost to him is not large...
...Nesbit and I had repeated conferences with him and I made a revised plan and bill the principles of which were embodied in a report made by Mr...
...I had already brought this to the attention of members of both houses of Congress...
...The United States charges nothing for tho war risk which in all justice it should bear for every man in the service...
...The cost is borne in part directly by the United States and in part from allotments made by the men from their pay...
...The benefits of the allotment and family allowance provisions will be felt most immediately...
...It can not be taken by creditors...
...After the war it can be changed tq ordinary life, twenty payment life, endowment at age 62, or other permanent form of insurance...
...It covers against death and also total permanent disability from any cause whatever...
...The compensation benefits are in addition to the life insurance...
...If he is injured the benefits range from $30 to $100 per month, according to the number of dependents and nature of the injury...
...I have had a hand in this bill until its final enactment and have kept in close touch with its administration, and it is because I know the situation that I urge every one to do his part to have every person in the service take this insurance...
...The insured soldier or sailor thus only pays the actual cost of meeting the death claims calculated for times of peace...
...The cost of paying for this can hardly be a burden in any case...
...Actuary S. II...
...ScnJc of Compensation Payments The compensation is payable only in case of injury or death while in the service...
...Proportionate compensation is paid where the disability is partial...
...The law has defects and amendments will be needed, but the machinery has been provided and the fundamental principles have been embodied in the law for all time...
...All administration expense is, however, Immediately upon our entry into the war 1 made the first draft of a plan and bill for the insurance of our soldiers and sailors...
...Compared with the benefits there is no way in which the soldier or sailor can get more for his money...
...The right will be lost if he fails to do so before February 12, 1918, except that those entering the service after October 14, 1917, have 120 days thereafter in which to apply...
...There is no provision for extending the time and the only safe way is to act now...
...Advantages of Many Kinds This insurance has all the advantages of any insurance in the best private companies with the large saving from eliminating the expenses...
...This includes the ordinary hazards and those from the war...
...Progress in this line has been much slower with other warring nations...
...The bill proposed placing this in the Treasury Department where it now is, but differed from the law as enacted, in proposing an insurance of $4,000 to cover both life insurance and ompensa-tion benefits, and be automatically in effect as to every man in tho service without any charge to him during the service...
...A man may also allot from' his pay and obtain an allowance for the benefit of parents, grandparents, brothers or sisters where he has during the preceding year habitually contributed to their support an amount equal to the allowance asked for...
...In June of this year Secretary of the.Treasury W. G; McAdoo took up the matter and enlisted Judge Julian W. Mack of the United States Court of Appeals at Chicago in this work...
...These benefits are also payable monthly...
...Besides, the United States very properly boars all the expense of handling the insurance...
...A bill was prepared which made separate provision for the life insurance and the compensation benefits and added provisions for allotments and family allowances...
...Provision was also made that .the insured might, buy from the United 'States additional insurance up to $10,000 in all...
...tinue the insurance on payment of the 20 payment life premiums for the remaining period at net rates, the administration expense to be borne by the United States...
...It can not fail to be a great source of satisfaction that the United States has so early in its participation in the war made such complete provision for its soldiers and sailors and their dependents...
...Charles F. Nesbit, then Commissioner of Insurance of the District of Columbia, this was laid before Assistant Secretary of Commerce Edwin F. Sweet...
...It has other advantages...
...In making the change tho insured merely accumulates in a reserve more savings for his old age...
...As soon as the administrative machinery is .working the families and other dependents of the men in the service will be placed beyond immediate want by regular monthly checks from the United States treasr ury...
...It was also proposed that the United States should accumulate on each policy a reserve for the time in force as upon the 20 payment life plan, with the right on the part of the insured after discharge from the service to co...
...During the stress of war the insurance is made the lowest priced one year renewable term i surance...
...The benefits of the Soldiers' and $ailprs' Insurance do not end with the life insurance...
...The entire allowance paid by the Unite*: States on account of the family and dependents of one man is limited to $50 per month...
...There are legitimate reasons for the difference, and the charges of the life insurance companies may not be excessive for the occasional risks which they gat...
...Justice to Our Soldiers and Sailors Wisconsin Authority on Insurance Gives Views on Federal Risk Plan—Aided in Drafting Measure By HERMAN L. EKERN, Former Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin EVERY soldier and sailor of the United States today has the opportunity to get $10,000 in life insurance from the United States at less ;ost than life insurance can be had in any other way even in time of peace...
...It is always payable in instalments, liven the pldier or sailor or his family can not squander the benefit or even assign it in advance...
...No pensions are to be paid hereafter except to persons whose right have accrued before the new.law was enacted...
...After full hearings before the com-mittes of both houses the bill 'passed almost unanimously and became a law.October 6, 1917...
...Nesbit is now Commissioner in charge of the Soldiers' and Sailors' insurance...
...The man must allot to a wife or child under eighteen net more than half his pay rfor less thah $15...
...Neither can he nor his family be deprived of its benefits in any way or for any cause...
...This applies only to privates and non-commissioned officers...
...If he dies, whether in the service or later, his widow, children or other beneficiaries will reoeive the $57.50 per month regularly for twenty years...
...Wisdom in Taking the Maximum He should take the full $10,000...
...These are automatic and do not have to be applied for...
...Claim for compensation must be made within five years after the death or injury, and back payments will noi be made for more than two years prior to the making of a claim...
Vol. 9 • December 1917 • No. 12
