Valdez daily prospector., 1918-04-25
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS RELIEF
Features of Congressional Act Pass ed to Protect Property Rights
 of Fighting Men

A war department circular letter gives the following summary of the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, recently passed by Congress, to pro- tect soldiers and sailors from undue hardship, due to their inability to bring or defend lawsuits and to at- tend to their business obligation or property rights, during their absence in military service.
 "A soldier or sailor may owe mon- ey on 8 note. Or he may have bought or leased land or tools or furniture on which an installment is yet due. Or he may have mortgaged his home, and be liable to foreclosure for non payment. Or he may have started a homestead or mining claim and be un- able to continue the necessary occu- patton in the required period of time. Or he may have carried life insurance for several years and now be unable to keep up the premium payments. Or he may have money claim against some one and during his absence the lapse of time may raise legal bar against suing for it when he returns. Or he may be sued on some claim in his absence and may be unable to de- fend the suit effectively while absent.
 ''In these and other ways he may suffer undue hardship. The object of this Act is to give relief from such harship. Its main principle is as fol- lows:
 "GD Let some one, on behalf of the soldier or sailor, notify the court that the party concerned is a soldier or sailor. Then the court will make prompt inquiries into the merits of the case; if the case merits it.ethe court has power to stay the other party from further proceedings, or to give other remedy that may be appro- priate. The court may also appoint an attorney to represent the soldier or sailor in the lawsuit.
 "(2) If lawsuit has been begun already in some court against the sol dier or sailor, go to that same court and give the notice above mentioned. If no lawsuit has yet been begun, but some landlord or other person is pre- pairing to sell out or to take posses sions of property in which the soldier or sailor is interested, go to the court in whose jurisdiction the property is, notify the court as above, and ask the court to summon the other party. All such persons are forbidden by law to take property in that way without first applying to court for an order; but some persons may attempt to take possession without doing so, in ig norance of the new law.
 "(3) If the soldier or sailor had an insurance policy or fraternal bene- fit membership, before September 1, 1917, and fears that he may not be able to keep up his payments, he should write to the War Risk Insur- ance bureau at Washington, and ask them for form of application tor ask his post adjutant at the camp). The Government, on certain condi- tions, will guarantee the payment of the premiums, so that the policy or membership will not be forfeited dur ing the soldiers or sailors absence; he will then have a year after his re- turn in which to pay up and save his policy or membership. This relief does not apply to all policies or member ships, and details can not be given here; but on filling out the applica- tion and sending 1t to the War Risk Insurance Bureau it will be duly talk en care of, if it is the kind of insur- :ance that is protected by the Act.