Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-06-20
LIFE INSURANCE I. .
IN TINE Of war

LONDON, June 1U.-Letter From
w. G. Shepher, United Press Cores
pondent, to the Freeman-Tribune
Life insurance in war time is diff.
ficult problem for the man who
wants to be insured. Also for the
insurance company. Soldiers cannot
1 get life insurance. No company will
i take the risk. But the life insurance
companies of England are so game
that the man carrying life insurance
at the time he went to the front is
assured that his widow and family
will receive his insurance money, no
matter how he may be killed. All
| life insurance policies issued in the
United Kingdom have always borne
la clause that the companies would
not pay for death caused by war. No
body expected war; therefore nobody
war began and the men of England
marched off to the front from their
desks and their officers, the directors
of life insurance companies met and
decided that in spite of the war
clause they would pay for deaths in
war on all outstanding policies, but
would issue no new policies on the
lives of men going to the front.
I The lie insurance companies have
/ paid out for the deaths of men killed
in battle a tremendous sum. isn't
| it possible for a rich man, going to
the front, to secure life insurance, if
he is willing to pay enough for it?"
an insurance man was asked. "No.
We've had all kinds of fancy offers,
/ but we cannot make rates of any
kind. The man who wished battle
field insurance would have to pay us
much more money in premiums than
we could pay his beneficiaries. can
even bet we couldn't afford to take.
He'd be betting us 100000, say,
that he would be killed and we
would be betting the same amount
that he would not All the odds
would be in his favor "Are there
any special classes of soldiers whose
lives are worth less than others'?"
Eyes. Flying men. We figure the
odds are four to one against them"
"But If a flying man was carrying
life insurance before the war, would
you pay for his death?" Eyes, just
as if he were an ordinary soldier.
We've paid on the death of more
than one man who was killed in the
air"
The insurance companies, early in.
the war, made an attempt to prepare
a policy for soldiers and officers. At
first, the policy holder was asked to-
pay premium of SIG on every 500.
The rate then went up to SIS and
when the companies faced the choice
Of making twenty per cent rate or
stopping soldier insurance, they
chose the latter course.
The insurance OF civilians against
war risks, however, is being develop
ed by London insurance companies,
whose actuaries are working out
such questions as:
What are the odds that any GER
tain person will not be killed by Yep
pelin bombs?
What are the odds that Germany
will not succeed in sending a great
flock of Zeppelins over London and
killing thousands? r
One company, whose experts stud
led the air question at great length,
now bets you $1,000 against SOL
that you will not be killed by anyI
missile that falls from the sky,
whether if by an enemy bomb or a
piece of British bomb fired at enemy
aircraft.
This same company Is also willing
to bet $500 to 81 that you will not
be killed by an enemy invasion