The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-21
GOVERNMENT IS PROTECT
ING MORE THAN 100000
TROOPS AND SAILORS.

Washington, May 2l.-More than
l6,0O0000,00O insurance on the
lives OF more than 100000 SOL
diers and sailors already has been
written by the bureau of war risk
insurance. That is said to be more
insurance, all written since the mid
die of last October, than is today
on the boks of the twenty largest
life insurance companies in the
world. All kinds OF problems have
been met with in achieving this gi-
gantic task, according to informa-
ton furnished to congress by
Thomas B. Love, assistant secretary
of the treasury in charge OF the bu-
reau, and other officials.
The war risk law provided for
payment of family allowances and
allotments and for administration
of a compensation insurance law
applicable to 100000 risks and for
the writing of this insurance on
the lives OF a possible 100000 SOL
diers and sailors. The applications
lot ALLOWANCES anu diiOiihCHto VI
the soldiers or sailors pay had to
be obtained from the ends of the
earth to which those i'll war service
have been scattered. From Dec.
20 until the beginning of this month
the bureau mailed out 2,UO,OOO in
dividual checks to families of de-
pendents in the United States, ap-
proximately $600OO,000 has been
paid out in allowances and allot-
ments; and in addition many thou
sand claims for compensation have
been made, some paid and Others
disalloWed.
Some Large Figures.
More than 95 per cent of the sol
diers and sailors listed at the bu-
reau have taken the insurance and
applications for it have come in at
daily rate involving from $50OOO,-
900 to $l00,000O00 of insurance dur
ing the last month. A clerica
force of about 4,300 people is EN-
ployed by the bureau in the work
A bill is now pending in congress
favorably reported by the house in
terstate comemrce committee, amend
ing the law in number of details
providing for instance that auto
matte insurance shall be payable tc
the mother whether dependent OF
not and to the father as well, anC
making other broadening features il
the interest of the soldiers nearest
of kin.
Bureau records show that there
are 100000 application blanks re
turned on which the man states he
has no dependents of any kind
There is surprisingly large per
centage of those men who have de
pendents, the first knowledge O.
whom the bureau learns when the
dependents write in for information
One of the surprising develop
ments is the number of complaint:
that the bureau is getting from
men who have asked exemption
from their wives or who claim they
have no wives" In one city recent
ly Commissioner Nesbit, OF the bu
reau, has advised congress, he re
Gently sent an Investigator to lool
| into 33 cases where men had claim
. ed exemption from their wives anC
said they did not know where th'
wives were living. The bureau 10
Gated 81 of the 33 wives within ;
week and the government has abso
lutte evidence that many of thes'
men knew where their wives were
The men did not want the wives Il
get the money.
One Case Cited.
In the course OF the testimon.
5 recently given before the hous
committee Paymaster Genera
Cowie, of the navy, declared tha
: in the exceptional cases where nava
officers do not support their fami
lies they are made to do SO yer
quickly. About six weeks ago
: wife called at the navy department
about failure of support and "insid
t of fifteen minutes" said Admira
Cowie, that gentleman was sen
such letter that he looked out 10
= her in proper order and inside @