The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-31
Wagers on the War


~ My the other day London able
dispatches reported that Lloyds
~ was accepting premiums uf ff-
teen guineas per cent. ($15 on
$500) on policies worded ITO pay a total
loss in the event of a declaration Of
war between Great Britain and America
within twelve months from date" This
action of the underwriters came right
on the heels of President Wilson's note
of protest to England against the seizure
Of United States vessels carrying car
goes to neutral countries but in a day
or so the rate had dropped to ven .
| guineas per cent, which indicated that
the risk was not considered SO great
| as when it was first figured out
If you read your newspaper carefully
and follow up the important events that
affect the world or large communities
you will invariably find the und. rwrter
| on the job. ready to take a chance one
way or the other on the outcome While
| insurance is, of course, primarily de-
signed to protect those financially con-
| cerned in any crisis, yet certain phas 5
| of the .sintss as 1t exists to-day have
| opened up an attractive field for the
gambler and the European conflict
gives him plenty of opportunity to play
his game.
! ltalys uncertain attitude has long
been the cause of much speculation.
Dloyd's rate insurng against war he
tween Italy and Austria and her allies
has been thirty guneas for thirty days.
or guinea a day. and fifty guineas per
cent for a period of six months. The
scandinavian countries have not be
overlooked. by the writer of insurance.
nut as there Is less likelihood of their
becoming embroiled in the conflict A
premium of seven guineas will buy
twelve months policy good for $500
should war be declared between any one
of those countries and Great Britain pr
Germany. Indeed there is not a neu-
trail country in Europe that is not the
object of such betting.
Ever since the Moroccan crisis lt''e
more than three years ago much money
has been staloed in this fashion the
premiums varying from four to fifteen
guineas per cent, according TO the sit
uation. But aside from policies of this
nature, modern warfare has brought
with 1t a number of dangers against
which the citizens of the countries in
VOWED have sought to protect them
selves, financially at least.
The threatened German air raids on
London and the mystery surrounding
the number and the destructive power
OF the Zeppelin fleet kept underwriters
busy insuring against damage by bombs
dropped from dirigibles and aeroplancs.
The fear of aerial invasion has since
subsidized and with 1t the demand for
bomb protection. But the German
naval raid on Scarborough. Whitby and
Hartlepool alarmed the English coast
: town residents and has caused another
! run on the insurance man for lombard
: ment policies.
, These bombardment policies take Us
back 10 the time of the Spanish Amerl-
cam war, when Wall Street underwriters
m ide fortunes on insurance of this KIND.
4 The presence Of the Spanish fleet in
southern waters made people in y IAN
! tic seaboard towns panicky, and while
a the eXcitemc mt was at its height there
was rush to protect homes and hus-
a ness places against loss or destruction
by gunfire. Much New York property
, south of Forty-second street WI pro-
y tected in this way. The premiums ON
. these ventures We're very small, rag
y ing about five-elghths per cent, hl' as
i no payments had to be made on 1l' OF
. the policies the underwriters pruJIcd
handsomely by the transactions
n Again, when the alien land law in
California caus the relations bctWr
v Japan and the United States to become
# strained, Residents on the Pacific coast
e sought similar protection and NAM i'm
e surance policies were issued covering
" property within firing range of japanese
+" warshps. The odds were 399 % ! ana
d AS matters turned out, again in .4Nor
P, Of the policy writer.
II To go back to the present conf IN
a Europe, the private individual CA. DE
insured against death or injury d. the
? enemy at the rate of Is. Cd. per a mum
< provided he continues to reside the
t. country where the policy was Issued
d and while it remains in effect
Y Some anti-German individual Ave
actually taken out policies the
~ Kaiser; but az the sums qua Nlrrd
were to be paid lin the event .' ms
lie death by the end of the year '9lp
i from other than natural caus' the
proposition certainly would s''h 10
~ have been a losing one 50 ..r a.
. the spectators We're concerncJ ms
u method of betting on the fate OF ' man
~ who for some reason or other IS very
much in the public eye is not E''eI'S
When the Essential murder case was
VI first tried in New York il was lrleu
that a syndicate of East Side oilers
IN and gunner had taken out n ihco
OF on Weber and Rose, who turned ''d"s
OF evidence. These policies were .i
cover large sums and were to .' paw
?" upon the electrocuton of Beck az
lie completes or their murder, in {, '''"'
or of acQuittal, within a SPECIFIC. lHV