Bisbee daily review., 1918-04-07
LOCAL DRAFT BOARD ORDERED TO GIVE
 AID TO SOLDIERS
Directed to Protect Interests
 Soldiers Unable to Pay ln- debtedness and Have
 Courts Act in Their Behalf.

Copies of the recent soldiers and sailors, act passed by congress. which aims to protect the men in the serv- ice from undue hardships by reason Df their. inability to defend or bring lawsuits. have been received by the local exemption board Special atten- tion of the board is called to the fact that soldiers and sailors are exempt from certain indebtedness for the dur ation of the war
 Copies of this act are being sent to about 200. GOO lawyers, to all superior courts an dto all local boards. The boards have been asked to hand a copy of the act to the nearest magis- trate Thus, it is stated, the courts ought 10 be already well informed as to the provisions of the new act.
 Following is the order:
 "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 10 foreclosure for non-pay- ment 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 insur- ance for several years and now be unable to keep up the premium pay ments. Or he may have a money claim against some one and during his absence the lapse of time may raise a 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 defend the suit effectively while absent.
 Tn these and other ways he may suffer undue hardship. The object of this act is to give relief from such hardship.
 The provisions of the act are too numerous to be set forth accurately here. Enough to point out that its main principle is as follows:
 "(1) 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 1t, the court has power to stay the other party from further proceedings or to give other remedy that may be ap- propriate The court may also appoint an attorney 10 represent the soldier or sailor in the lawsuit
 "(2) If lawsuit has been begun al ready in some court against the sol dier or sailor, go to that same court and give the notice above mentioned If some landlord or other person is preparing to sell out or to take DOS. session of property in which soldier or sailor is interested 20 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 ignorance of the new law.
 Law Affects Insurance
 "(3) If the soldier or sailor had an insurance policy or a fraternal bane- fit membership, before Sept ., 1917. and fears that he may not be able to keep up his payments he should write to the war risk insurance bureau at Washington and ask tbem for a form or application Cor ask his post adiut-