Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-08-30
Secretary McAdoo Fauors
Soldiers Insurance Lao
Says It Is Most Progressive Measure Presented to Congress-
Since Declaration of War-Al Overhead
Charges Eliminated.
BY w. G.. MeApoo,
Secretary Of the Treasury.

/ Inc umOS OF CLAIMS LOT GXeHIPSVOu
from military duty under the Graft law
has caused a painful impression in many
quarters. but after all, does not the fact
that no provision has yet been made by
the government for the support of the
wives and children, mothers or fathers
of the men who have been drafted eX-
plain many of these claims for exemp-
tion?
Under the draft law the government
has the power to require every able
bodied man between 81 and 81 years of
age to perform military duty Thousands
! of the drafted men are wage earners who
married years g and are the sole sup
; port of dependent families. So long as the
government has made no provision for the
care of these dependents it Is natural
that such drafted men should seek to
| protect their loved ones by staying at
home. / am sure hat If the congress
should promptly enact the pending war
insurance bill. which makes definite al
lowances for the support of the dependent
wives and children, fathers or mothers of
our soldiers and sailors. claims for exemp-
tion OH that score will cease. This is AN
imperative duty of the government. We
cannot deprive helpless women and chill
dren of the support of the wage Garner
by forcing him into the military service
OF the country unless the government sub
stitutes itself as their support.
Imagine the emotions OF the man who
ia called into the military service of his
country with full knowledge that his
loved ones are left without means of sup
port and may be reduced to want unless
the charity of the community in which
they live comes to their relief. 1t would
be nothing less han n crime for Il rich
and just government to treat it's fight
ing men so hcartlessly and to subject
Y knnj~ .7o,or.JAnf ,;ryo, - 1iIll.--. -
arc unable to fight. to greater suffering
than If they could fight.
The morale OF an army is az essential
to Its effective fighting power as guns,
ammunition and other Observation-Disclosures
OF war. OF equal Importance is the morale
Of the civil population which must sup
port the armies in the field. We cannot
have this essentia morale unless the ma
ton comforts the men in the ranks with
the knowledge that everything possible
will be done for them and their families
and renders to the civil population at
home the assistance which will make it
most effective in %upholding the govern
, ment and the fighting forces.
The purpose OF the war insurance bill
now pending in the congress is to Sc
cure the future Of Americas soldiers
and sailors by insuring their lives and
providing adequate compensations and
tndemnities for loss of life and total or
partial permanent disability; also to
protect their families against poverty
n want by providing them with suffi-
ctent means of support during the alb
sence of the men at the front.
The nation, having been forced to re-
sort to the draft in order to create
quickly an army to save the country, is
under a higher obligation to do these
things for its fighting forces than If a
volunteer army only was created. This
great and rich republic cannot afford
to do less. and it must do what is pro-
posed in "a spirit of gratitude and not
as charity. Every soldier and sailor
who serves his country in this war will
earn everything the proposed wal i'm
surance bill provides; to be a bene-
1tctary OF h proposed law will be a
badge of honor.
When we draft the wage Garner, we
al not only him but the entire family
tOsthe flag; the sacrifice entailed is not
divisable. The wife and children. the
mother, the father, are all involved in
the .sacrifice.-they directly share the
burden of defense. They suffer just as
way. and the nation must generously
discharge as a proud privilege the duty
OF maintaining them until the soldiers
II sailors return from the war
resume the responsibility.
We have drawn the sword to vindi-
cate Americas violated rights, to re-
store peace and justice. and to secure
permit our soldiers, while they hold the
front, to be stabbed in the back by un-
certainty as to what is being done foY
their loved ones at home. Our tomor-
rows are in their hands-their in ours
The national conscience will not permit
Americas soldiers. and their depend
ents to. go u~npr0vided with everything
that a just, generous and noble people
a do to compensate them for the suf-
fesihgs and sacrifices they make to
serve their country.
Aside from the care and protection Of
their dependents while the soldier il
alive. the proposed war insurance act
provides for definite compensation for
his dependents in case of death, for
definite and adequate indemnities in
case Of total or partial disability, and
Tor rccducation Of the MANNED and dis
a0icd man, so that he may take up q
now occupation nj make himself a
usefus member Of society. We must
restore their efficiency and adjust their
stui available faculties and functions to
suttable trades, and %vocations. which
n injuries of the battlefield have not
wholly destroyed. The heavy deple-
ions IN mar power resulting from this
scondict;, which is without precedent in
history or Imagination. will place new
@SAU esSoSel VALUES upon al forms and
degrees Of human energy, and demand
a. q first duty OF intelligent government
that every remaining useful sense and
limb OF tho blind and crippled shall be
reclaimed under the benevolent pro-
cessess of education and reapplied to
economic uses for the benefit OF society.
The millions we shall be called upon to
spend to support the dependents Of the
soldiers while they are in the lighting
line. Tor indempjties and for reeduca-