The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-11-08
WAR-RISK INSURANCE

in the annals of this Nation and of
the great world war, for it marks the
beginning of altogether the wisest
and most benefcent provision for the
dependents of soldiers and sailors in
time of war ever made by a nation in
the history of the world.
Backing Up Our Fighting Forces.
1t is fitting to commemorate this
significant anniversary today, in the
midst of the Fourth Liberty Loan
campaign. A large share of the six
billion fighting dollars we must mo
bilize to back up Pershing and his gal
lent men is going to pay family al
lowances, Government compensation
benefits to our heroic soldiers and
sailors and those dependent upon
them. Sustained by the assurances
of the humane and generous provi-
sions of the War-Risk Insurance Act,
Americas manhood is enabled to go
forth to battle stout of heart and with
unwavering confidence.
The administration of the act by
the Treasury Department through the
Bureau of War Risk Insurance during
the past year constitutes one of the
big war tasks of the Government.
Allotments and Allowances.
In the twelve months just ending
the bureau has mailed more than six
and one-half million checks in pay
ment of allowances and allotments,
representing total disbursement of
almost $200,000,000 for the care and
maintenance of the families and de-
pendents of our fighting men.
These wise and just provisions
reach to every corner of the land. APP
proximately one million checks a
month are now being mailed regularly
to maintain this protection.
Compensation for Death or Disability
The act also provides that liberal
compensation benefits, without cost
to the soldier, shall be paid for death
or disability incurred in the line OF
duty, and in addition that every man
wearing the uniform, who desires to
provide additional protection for his
loved ones, may take out not less than
81 900 nor more than $4,000 of Uncle
Sans insurance against death and to.
tai permanent disability.
Uncle Sans Insurance
In the year past the Bureau has
written nearly thirty-five billion dol.
lars of this insurance, or approx
mately as much ordinary life insur.
ance as there was outstanding witt
all the lfe-insurance companies in the
world at the beginning of the year
Our Army and Navy are more thar
80 per cent insured and new applica.
tions are now being received for more
than billion dollars of this insurance
per week.
The Bureau has made awards anc
is paying monthly compensation OF
more than 5000 death and disability
claims, and it is paying monthly in
stallments of insurance on more THAI
5000 insurance death claims.
The Achievement of One Year
In the performance of this three
fold task the Bureau has within thu
year handled nearly three million min,
hundred thousand insurance applica
tions and more than three million
eight hundred thousand allotment ant
allowance forms, and it has beer
necessary to prepare and maintain un
der constant control more than TWEEN
ty-six million separate individual care
records. The Bureau has received
and answered more than three million
letters.
From a small organization of TWEEN
ty persons working in the baSemen
of the Treasury Department one yea
ago, the Bureau has grown until i
now has working force of 1900
employees occupying thirteen build
ings in Washington.
Safeguarding the Soldiers Kin
The Treasury Department has lief
nothing undone to promote and i'm
prove the efficiency of the Bureau il
its vast work, and to reduce to min
imum the inevitable errors and de
lays incident to carrying out so larg
mass of details. It is the aim o
the Treasury Department to make tn
Bureau of War Risk Insurance tn
most efficient as it is the largest or
ganization of its kind.
The work of the Bureau during it
first year represents the largest ser
vice ever rendered by any nation t
the families and dependents of it
| fighting forces in time of war.
In view of the multitude and inf
mite variety of difficult details il
volved it represents probably tn
most stupendous task ever committe
to public or private organization t
perform.
The Bureau of War Risk Insuranc
today is perhaps the largest bushes
unit in the world. ..---
w. G. McADOO.