Ripley County democrat., 1917-11-02
LEGAL SIDE OF
| SOLDIERS LIFE
OFFERS TANGLEs
Department Of Judge Advocate
General Kept Busy Sorting
Out Difficulties.
is ALWAYS FRIEND OF MEN
Legal Questions, Which May Be Puz,
cling, Explained In Thorough Fash.
lon by Men Who Have Been
Trained to Understand the
Points at Issue.

1 t'tse 49,
! New York.-To relieve the perplexed
minds of our soldiers awaiting call
to the battlefelds Of France to make
complete the final rout of Europe's un.
masked ruflian and what he stands for,
and the subsequent assurance of world
democracy, the Judge advocate gener-
ais department Is busy these days ad-
vising them Of many legal questions
most likely to affect them. At Camp
Mills and Camp Upton, In this section
lin fact, in every training cantonment
throughout the United States--soldiers
have sought advice on the allotment
of pay, the making of wills, the guard
ianship and custody of children, &C.
tions In court. debts, mortgages, goods
bought on installment. insurance and
many other legal questions that usu.
ally tend to confuse the ordinary lay
mind.
Here is the Judge advocate generals
department, especially installed to aid
the soldier seeking legal advice and
particularly equipped to give advice
based on latest decisions Of the court
of appeals. A guide for soldlers--and
seamen, too--has been compiled by
able lawyers here for the legal aid bu-
reau Of the Educational alliance Of this
city. The guide is distributed free to
the soldiers In the camps. Many Of
the knotty problems are explained In
thorough fashion. Being reminded by
this pamphlet Of certain obligations
that bind him, the soldier then seeks
the judge advocate general for the
more technical procedure.
May Assign His Pay.
Il The pamphlet tells the soldier that
an allotment Of pay Is much like an
assignment Of wages. A man in serv-
ice instructs the government regular
ly to send part Of his pay direct to his
wife or his mother or other depend
ents. II prevents delay and possible
loss, and is generally the businessllke
thing to do. Cases may arise where
money orders sent home by enlisted
men are lost or delayed for weeks In
the mails, with resulting hardship to
the families. Blank forms may be OBJ
tanned from commanding officers, and
they forward the allotment to the quar-
termaster general. The government
then sends the money direct to the SOL
dler's family so long as he Is in the
service.
As to the making of valid will. the
soldier is given implicit instructions.
He also Is shown how the law distin-
guishes between real estate and per.
sonal property. How the law distrib-
utes his personal property should he
die without making win Is forcibly
brought home to him. If he leaves a
wife and children his wife is entitled
to one.third, the remainder going to
the children In equal portions. With
respect to real estate, his wife has
dover rights in q one-third interest as
long as she lives. Subject to this dow
er the real property descends to his
children, which includes legally adopt
ed children. 4
Exception In Making VIII.
II he leaves a wife and no children
or grandchildren and no parent, broth
'er, sister, nephew or niece, his wife
takes all his personal property. Should
he leave a wife and no children or
grandchildren, but parent, brother,
sister, nephew or niece, then one-half
Of the personality and $1,000 OF the
residue 60 to the wife. Being unmar-
iried, his entire estate goes to his fa-
ther. II his father be dead. then his
mother shares the estate equally with
his brothers and sisters and the chill
dren of deceased brothers and sisters,
the latter taking the deceased parents
share. These seem TO be the principal
difficulties that beset the soldiers
mind. If he does not want his prop
erty to be distributed in the manner
prescribed by law he must make o val
ID will.
At least two witnesses are necessary
for the willis validity and the testator
must sign the will at the end, telling
the witnesses the instrument IS his last
will and testament. There is a notable
exception: II the soldier Is engaged
In active service In the United States
army or navy, he may make valid
will by. telling two persons what he
desires to be done with his property.
They must write 1t out according to
the instructions Of the soldier. A will
in this way can dispose of his person
ality, but not his real estate. This sort
f. OF will should never be made except In
contemplation, fear or peril Of death.
AS some states do not permit this
kind of wiil 1t IL not safe for the sol
dler to tell his comrades from other
st4tes that they can make a will In this
way. II his home Is In New York and
he In active service and not on fur
Tough or detached from active service
for any reason. he may take advantage
ofsthis sort Of Will.
1Aen comes guardianship Of chill
drenA property. If q soldiers children
own property and he Il leaving them
without anyone In whom be has con.