The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-04-09
HOW TO OBTAIN
PROTECTION OF
CIVIL RELIEF
New Law Protecting Legal
Rights of Soldiers and
Families Explained.
DEFENSE COUNCIL
ISSUES STATEMENT
Will Prevent Undue Hard
ship to Man, or His Fam
lily, in the Service.

Hartford, April S-The protection
afforded soldiers and sailors by the
Civil Relief Act recently passed by
Congress Is outlined briefly by the
Connecticut State Council of Defense
in a statement being sent to its war
bureaus and town committees through
out the state.
Local agencies of the council have
, been asked to distribute copies OF the
act and copies of statement outlining
its provisions prepared by Major Wig
more of the staff of the Judge AdVo-
cate General of the Army. These cop
les are to be supplied to trial Justices
and judges of city courts as well as
legal members of the draft exemption
boards and members of the legal pro-
! fession who are Identified with the war
bureaus and town committees.
The councils communication to its
local agencies says: "Plans should be
! developed and carried out for local
legal committee to care for the inter
ests of soldiers and sailors and their
families affected by the Act"
A brief-outline of the provisions of
the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act as
prepared by Major Wigmore is a sfol-
lows:-
1.-THE Soldiers and Sailors Civil Re-
lief Act, recently passed by Congress,
aims to protect soldiers and sailors
from undue hardship due to their in
ability to bring or defend lawsuits and
to attend to their business obligations
of property rights, during their alb
sence in military service.
"A soldier or sailor may owe money
on a 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-pay-
ment. Of he may have started q
homestead or mining claim and be
unable 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 a money claim against
some one and during his absence the
lapse of time may raise legal bar
against suing for 1t 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
the Act is to give relief from such
hardship.
THE provisions of the act are toe
numerous to set forth accurately
here. Enough to point out that its
main principle is as follows:
he ho14 fi
the soldier or sailor, notify the court
that the party concerned is soldier
or sailor. Then the court will make
prompt inquiries into the merits OF
the case; if the case merits 1T, the
court has power to stay the Other
party from further proceedings, or tc
give other remedy that may be ap
propriate. The court may also ap
point an attorney to represent the sol
der or sailor in the lawsuit.
"(2) If a lawsuit has been begun
already in some court against the sol
der or sailor, go to that same cour
and give the notice above mentioned
If no lawsuit has yet been begun, bu
some landlord or other person is pre-
pairing to sell out or to take possession
of property in which the soldier OF
sailor is interested. go to the court IL
whose jurisdiction the property is
notify the court as above, and ask tn,
court to summon the other party. AL
such persons are forbidden by law t.
take property in that way withou
first applying to court for an order
but some persons may attempt to tax
possession without doing so, in ignor
ance of the new law.
"(3) If the soldier or sailor ha'
an insurance policy or fraternal bene
fit membership, before September
1917, and fears that he may not b
able to keep up his payments, h
should write to the War Risk Insur
ance Bureau at Washington, and AS
them for a form of application 60
ask his post adjutant at the camp.
The Government, on certain condi
.tions, will guarantee the payment Q
the premiums, so that the policy o
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 hi
policy or membership. This relic
does not apply to all policies or mem
berships, and details can not be civ
en- here; but on filling out the applce
ton and sending it to the War Ris
Insurance Bureau it will be duly tax
en- care Of, it is the kind of insul
ance that Is protected by this Act"