The Red Cloud chief., 1917-08-23
1nsuring Our Fighting Men.

by representative Insurance men and
report IN by advisory committees, has
been put in definite form and SUBJ
mitted to President Wilson.
The Presidents comment was as
follows:
81 have examined the enclosed
papers very carefully and take pleas
ure in returning them with my entire
approval"
A bill has been introduced in con-
gress along the lines suggested by
the Secretary of the Treasury and
approved by the President.
In essentials it is proposed that the
government furnish at cost to the
soldiers and sailors of the United
States life and indemnity insurance.
The main features of the Secre-
tary's plan are that the government
shall bear all the cost of the admins
tration of the insurance plan and that
no expense of any kind shall be a
charge on the funds created by the
payment of premiums by the soldiers
and sailors. Relieved of overhead
charges, eight dollars a year for
every thousand dollars insurance will
be an adequate charge, under the
plan, and this figure will put the max
imum insurance of ten thousand dol
lars within the reach of practically
every private soldier or sailor. In
in private companies would
cost many times this sum for men
actually engaged in warfare.
After the war the insurance NAV be
converted into other forms. The
insurance is to be payable in INSTALL
ments, is non-assignable and free
from the claims Of creditors of the in
sured or of the beneficiary, and is
limited to the wife, children and other
specified kindred.
If total disability results or disease
is contracted in the course of service,
the compensation is to be based on
percentage of pay, with a minimum,
however, of from forty to seventy
five dollars a month according to the
size of the family. Partial disa-
bilities are to be computed on a basis
of percentages of total disability.
Medical, surgical and hospital
treatments, supplies and appliances
are to be given. Rehabilitation and
re-education of the injured soldiers or
sailors, fitting them for lives of activ-
ity and usefulness is a part of the
plan.
The plan also contemplates free
allowances to the families of soldiers
and sailors the government supple
menting the sums set aside by the sol
diers and sailors out of their wages.
The insurance is not to be a gift of
the government but is to be paid for
out of the pay of the insured men.
The government, however, is to take
upon itself the cost of collecting and
administering the funds and also the
extra hazard caused by the war, the
rate of eight dollars per thousand be-
ing a normal rate in peace time and
an entirely inadequate rate for war
risk.
The workmen's compensation laws
and the experiences of insurance COM
panies in this country and the laws
and experiences of other countries
have been studied and used in the
preparation of this bill.
Secretary McAdoo emphasizes the
justice and rightfulness of such a
function of the government by citing
the fact that in this war we are not
relying upon the volunteer system but
are drafting American men and COM
pelling them to undergo danger and,
if necessary, make the supreme sacri-
flee for their country. A higher OBJ
legation, he says, therefore rests upon
the government not only towards the
fighting men but towards those de-
pendent upon them and a just, gen.
erous and humane government should
see to it that so far as is practicable
'ics oiiouiu NC gwen thio PiotcStiOIt
.notsas a matter of mercy or charity
but as a matter of right. And that
they should enter into the service of
their country with the certain know
ledge that if death or misfortune
comes to them they and their depend
ents are protected by insurance af-
forded them by their government as
part of the compensation for the SER
vice they are rendering their country.
In conclusion, Secretary McAdoo
points out that while this plan may
call for considerable expenditures at
present, yet the eventual cost to the
government of this plan will be very
much less than that which would re-
suit from the adherence to the present
pension program of the country, and,
further, that the pension system will
not provide the same benefits nor
cover the subject in the same COM