The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-11-10
Protecting Uncle Sam s
Sea Skirnishers
Men Who Risk Their Lives On
Merchant Ships Know Their
f Families WIN Not akaFva.

BY the Hon. L. s. Rcwe. assistant
+ secretary OF the treasury.
No sailor who risks his life on
Uncle Sans merchant fleet Of today
or on his far greater fleet Of to-
morrow need fear that he viii leave
those dependent on him penniless.
Uncle Sam has decreed that he can
not leave them penniless, even IL he
would. Months ago the government
realized that these merchant sail
ors were the country'g real advance
4 guard, its sea slxirnish line, sent
forth, first Of all. In advance OF the
army and even OF the navy, 70 draw
the German fire. daily and hourly.
without uniforms and without
cheers, az q mere matter Of duty.
IL decided that the men who did
this were really as much a part of
the national service as were the
army and the navy. and it made
prompt provision for the care of
their families in case they were
lost or captured. Only two months
after war was declared congress
wrote into law a merchant-sailor-
insurance clause under which the
treasury department stands rdady
TO lessen. as far as money can, the
enects Of their loss upon their fam
Ilies. This provision passed almost
unnoticad by the country. whose
attention was centered on the in
surance Of the ships rather than on
that OF the sailors. But the families
OF the Fl men who have since per-
ished have reason to note the diff
ference and to bless the law, as has
also the wife OF Capt. Oliver, OF the
steamship Campana, who was car
ried away to Germany as a prison-
er. For all OF these ii spells the diff
Terence between comfort and PEN.
ury.
Blanket Policy.
Under the government plan a
blanket policy Is written providing
for the insurance Of the master, the
officers, and the crew of every shin
that sails from an American port to
the war zone. and vice versa, In
an amount equal to 10 times their
monthly wages plus all bonuses, and
providing further that no individual
insurance shall be for less than
$1,000 or more than $4,000. The
policy also provides that the full
amount shall be paid not only for
Death but also for permanent dis
ability, or for the loss OF both hands,
arms, feet. legs, or eyes. For lesser
injuries from Is to 65 per cent Of
the principal sum is to be paid,
Nor are prisoners forgotten. I'm
Gle Sam recognizes his liability 20
families that are temporarily de-
prived OF their breadwinners as
much as to those that are perman-
emily deprived. No American sailor
need eat his heart out in prison
wondering how his family is manag-
ing to live. Uncle Sam will pay
them his fun wages until such time
as the total amount paid shall equal
the principal sum for which he was
insured.
Death awards are paid TO the es-
tate of the insured for distribution
to his family free of all liability for
debt. Awards for injury are paid
only to the insured himself, and
awards for imprisonment are held
for him. unless he himself has di-
rected to whom they are to be
paid. No attorney or claim agent Is
necessary to aid in the collection OF
Uncle Sans insurance, and none is
entitled TO receive any payment for
helping to collect It, except where
the liability is contested by the gov-
ernment and is tried In a United
States district court. Then the
judge may award the attorney not
more than 10 per cent of the
amount secured.