Republican farmer., 1918-04-12
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
 fly, 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 statement being sent to its war fureaus 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 it's 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 it's local agencies says: Plans should be developed and carried out for local 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:-
 ''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 ab- 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 1 be liable to foreclosure for non-pay- ment. Of he may have started g homestead or mining claim and be unable to continue the necessary occu- patton in the required period of time l 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 agains some one and during his absence. the lapse of time may raise a legal bal against suing for it when he returns Or he may be sued on some claim 1T his absence and may be unable to de fend the suit effectively while absent
 "In these and other ways he ma! suffer undue hardship. The object o1 the Act is to give relief from sucf hardship.
 "The provisions of the act are toC numerous to set forth accuratel, here. Enough to point out that it! main principle is as follows:
 "1) Let some one, on behalf O. the soldier or sailor, notify the cour that the party concerned is a soldier or sailor. Then the court will make prompt inquiries into the merits O. the case; if the case merits it, th' court has power to stay the othel party from further proceedings, or tt give other remedy that may be ap propriate. The court may also ap point an attorney to represent the sol dier or sailor in the lawsuit.
 "(2) If a lawsuit has been begun already in some court against the sol dier 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 0, sailor is interested, go to the court il whose jurisdiction the property is notify the court as above, and ask th' 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 talk possession without doing so, in ignor ance of the new law.
 "(3) If the soldier or sailor haC an insurance policy or fraternal bene fit membership, before September 1 1917, and fears that he may not bt able to keep up his payments, h. should write to the War Risk Insur ance Bureau at Washington, and asl them for a form of application (ol ask his post adjutant at the camp. The Government, on certain condi tions, will guarantee the payment O. the premiums. so that the policy ol 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 giv en here; but on filling out the applica ton and sending it to the War Risl Insurance Bureau it will be duly talk en care of, it is the kind of insur ance that is protected by this Act"