The Pulaskian., 1917-07-06
WAR INFLUENCE
 ON INSURANCE
NEVER BEFORE HAVE THE FRA THERMAL ORGANIZATION BEEN CONFRONTED WITH SUCH
 CONDITIONS AS NOW.

The influence of the world-war upon fraternal insurance is engaging the attention of actuaries and fraternal- ists in most serious manner at this time. The conditions are unique, but 1 the societies are standing the strain admirably and by the adoption of ade- quate war-risk premiums it is pre- dicted that they will write a new and important chapter in the history of life insurance.
 Such conditions have never be- 1 fore confronted the fraternal insur- anee organizations of the country, who find themselves in a dilemma that is requiring cooperation and un- swerving loyalty to extricate them selves from it." said H. l.. Cross, Grand Recorder of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. MT. Cross is the oldest Grand Recorder of the A. 0. D.. w. in practically continuous service in the United States, having been elected the first Grand Recorder when Arkansas and Louisiana were set apart as a separate Jurisdiction in 1890 He has given the best years of his life to the study of fraternal life insurance, and has been intimately identified with the upbuilding of the order in Arkansas until it has mem bership of nearly 5000, with a total insurance of approximately $9,000,000
 '"The fraternal insurance system" :" continued MT Cross is comparative ly new. It has sprung up since the Civil War of 1860-65, which separated families, kinsmen and neighbors and drenched our country's soil with
 blood of it's sons. It has grown into | tremendous magnitude with millions of members who carry insurance to- day in about 300 fraternal orders and societies. The Ancient Order of Unit ed Woorkmen was the pioneer of all of them. John Jordan Upchurch, the i father of fraternal insurance, organ ized the first lodge of the A. o. U. w. in Meadville, Pa, October 27 1868 Since that time there have been no great wars to make requisition upon the membership of the fraternal or ders, and we are confronting some thing new and untried.
 Now we are on the threshhold in fact, we have already entered upon q. great world-war, and no prophet or son of prophet can foretell how long it will last or how many fatal- ties will occur to the members of the fraternal orders. The actuaries are as much at sea as the rest of us. 1 Therefore, it behooyes the fraternal ly in regard to the increased risks that must be carried by each order by reason of it's members being called to the colors to protect the United States from the aggression of for eign foe.
 We have observed with much mis- giving and perturbation of spirit the expressions and desires of several of the, fraternal orders in trying to pro- tect their numbers who have enlisted in the Army and Navy. We admire the loyalty and patriotism of every | service of his nation in the great peril with which we are now confronted, and we should make adequate provi- sions for the safety and protection of those who go to the front No one can predict with any degree of au- . thority the financial loss which would be sustained by any order by the death of their members slain on the battlefield. Their protection is pos sible only through the adoption of ade- quate rates, and the enforcement of an extra war-risk premium, such as that of the A. o. U. w. for the bene- fit of those who stay at home as well as those who go to war.
 "This is a new feature of fraternal insurance, as there is no criterion. in past experience to guide us, there having been no war of any magnitude since fraternal insurance was estab- lished fifty years ago. It certainly should not be considered the part of wisdom for any order to announce that it will remove all war restric- tions in the issuance of it's certif- cates, or even adopt nominal war-risk premiums, for with the large number of men on the firing line, and the many that must necessarily be killed, it would soon cause great financial loss for any order that has not made paid by those going to war"