The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-14
RICHEST INSURANCE FIELD.
United States Carries More Life Insur-
ance Than Rest of the World.

New York, Dee l4-The United States,
with less than a fifteenth of the popula
ton of the earth, now has more life in
surance in force than exists in all the
rest of the world put together, accord
ing to original statistics presented to-
day at the 10th annual meeting of the
Association OF Life Insurance Presidents.
Alfred Hurrell associate general solicitor
of the Prudential Insurance company
presented the figures and said:
"The very magnitude OF the figures
compels attention and respect. They not
only record the results OF a great bust
ness as a business, but they sketch with
accuracy a picture of the moral activities
of our people in comforting relief TO the
oft -repeated charges of materialism and
selfishness made against them. There is
in force in the United States on resi-
dents therein at the present time over
$40. 600 900 900 Of legal reserve life insur-
ance. In contrast with this. the insur-
ance in force on the lives of the people of
Great Britain, Germany. France, Italy,
Switzerland, Russia, Austro-H Hungary
Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Japan,
Australia. New Zealand and Chile, on the
last available statistics, was less than
SIG. 800, O00, 900. Estimating literally the
insurance carried in countries not emu
merated it is apparent that the United
States has more life insurance than is in
force elsewhere on the globe. At the end
of 1915 the actual insurance carried in
American life insurance companies was
$50. 700 600 900. but some of this is car
ried on citizens of foreign countries. In
the 10 years from 1905 to 1915 the in
surance in force in American companies
increased lust short of $4,000, 100000.
The increase now is at the rate OF over
81 .O0O, 100000 of insurance year.
"The per capita insurance in force at
the end of 1905 in this country was Sl59,
at the end of last year it was 1927. In
1905 in England it was SOB and at the
end of 1918 it was Sl62. Gen fhany's per
capita in 1905 was S43, in 1914 it was
500 France only increased its per capita
from $40 in 1906 to S2l in 1912; Italy
had SO in 1908 and by 1914 this had in
creased to but 81 per person. So 1t Is
seen that compared with the other prin-
cipal nations not only Is our per capita
much higher, but it had steady annual
increase over those countries in the
years preceding the outbreak of the
war
Referring to the invested assets Of the
American life insurance companies, now
amounting to more than $1,000 100000,
and to their potentiality in peace and in
war. Mr.. HurTell said:
"The American life insurance COM
panies which hold in trust for their pol
icyholders the vast sums above stated,
constitute an affirmative element of first
Importance if our preparedness as ma :
ton should be put TO test. That this
would be 50 is seen from the experience
in Europe, where months ago it was said
the war loans of the belligerent nations
then exceeded s3o.OOO.OO0,O0O. one-tenth
OF which it is estimated had been sub
scribed BY the life and the other insur-
ance institutions of the countries in
volyed and nj good interest rates. In
this way viii policyholders in America
collectively help their country in times
OF dire need