The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-03
LIFE INSURANCE AND WAR.
PROFITS NOT APJECTED ri soUrH
AFRICAN CAPABILITIES.

Many British Ohicers Arc Insured In Amer
lean Companies; bat Eoer MnrHsmnn-
ship IL n small Factor In General Rn-
sults-wRr and Life Insurance Poiicies.
The large proportion 81 casualties an,org tho
British officers In the battles with tie TocrS In
South Africa has attracted particular attention
among life insurance men, and even sunic Of tho
Insured have been led TO ask whether the lossca.
II continued at their present rate. would not rn-
tcrally affect the profits OF tic insurance COM
panics for the nest year or two should the war last
70 long. Inquiry among the leading insurance
men OF this city seems to make IL certain tina, no
one need feel any anxiety on this score, and in
fact, thnt war and its risks have become 50 srall
factor in the general riks TO lie In thee modern
days that great insurance COMPANIES having
risks OF all kinds widely distributed all over tho
world, can either afford cni,cly to ignore war a.
a special source Of danger, else carry war risks
at very small additional Trcmium,. Although
the big American life insurance CuilinnIcs have
all considerable at risk among British ofhccro
now in South Africa, or likely soon 20 re- there,
their officers look upon their largc ca ualtr lists
after each battle there without concern. and pro
dict that, In spite Of the ~ cc.ol attention which
the Beers are paying 10 British officers tho in
surnncc losses will probably b. no greater in pro-
portion than those among American army officers
during the Spanish war
tits well known that even under hc most favor
able circumstances tho losses Of an army AFRO
always much greater from exposure and disease
than from wounds and II Is pointed out III II whcrc-
as our losses in battle with the Spanish were
small, comparatively, Tho total Of deaths in Cuba
Porto Rico. the Philippines and the camps wns
large. Further. IL IL dcchrcd TINT there with
out doubt many insurance risks among the mcn
who went into the volunteer army which viii
would otherwise have done and still il is a fact
that although there were thousands Of insured
men in our nrmy. the risks Of life insurance
are now so widely spread that the statistics OF
the big companies do not show any indication
that this country has Just been through war
IN which we put 5OOOOO men more in.o tho
field careful investigator would show. W tn
out doubt that the comoanicq met with largo
losses among tho men who wcrc, wearing the
uniform hut the figures OF total losses for the
year were not affected
The general hcaihiulnass Of tho South African
country IN expected fully TO Offset the desire Of
the Beers 10 shoot British officers The chances
OF war In Europe are considered much greater
Se;da s1In onances iete lnat nm American hos
plies for life insurance. One big American COM
pany considers war risks exactly as It does tho
risks Of infectious disease and takes risks on the
lives OF ordinary citizens on policies which hold
good whether man goes out 10 dgh. his coun-
uy's battles or not, and with no extra charge II
he docs go Even officers in the regular army
and navy arc insured in time OF peace at regular
raes and the only difference between their polcics
and those Of the civilian IL thu, they 80 into a
class by themselves with which a separate &C
count y Kept and then may lose the usual profit
premium payments IL tho losses happen to 10
heavy among them Now that wo have tropical
countries as q part OF the nation an extra clause
IL being added TO the policies OF army officers ro-
curing tbom 10 got a permit before going into
the tropics and 10 pay special fec OF $50 for each
$1,000 Tor which they are insured This pay
ment "a however final for ,ha, class OF nsl-
Naval officers are not required 10 pay extra Tor
going 70 the tropics because they take their houses
with them.
During tho Spanish war the companies whose
policies did not the risk TO a citizen soldier
made their insured men who volunteered take out
permits and agree 10 pay eStrH fee for the risk
but the sum 81 this extra fee wns not 10 exceed
500 per 81 900 insurance The actual loss from
the risk has not been figured up yet but Il is be
l-vet 70 have been only all part OF this extra
lee Every man Of our volunteer forces may
carry insurance. but none Is taken on the lives
Of the enlisted men IN the regular army. No
company writes more than a $1,000 rsS on an
ofhoer Our offers are said 10 be more generally
insured than those OF foreign armiel although
on their livea
The rates and manner Of insurinr the lives Of
officers abroad vary in the various countries b,l,
the general principle Is 10 charge an extra sum,
equal. according 10 tho results OF experience 20
the actual risks Of war. In England this sum Ia
% rs year on each 81 600 OF insurance and our
Som,anies mac the same charge there as ths
English cpmpanina