Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-03

The large insurance companies of the ma
ton have come forward with the offer of
splendid support and cooperation in this gov
eminent campaign. With their tremendous
organizations of trained agents daily visiting
millions of American homes, they are in a
position to give the proposition the widest
kind of publicity. Insurance men have an
nounced that they are glad to do this for two
reasons: First, they are eager to show their
appreciation OF the American men who in saw
ing the nation also saved the insurance COM
panies of that nation, and they know that this
government insurance is the opportunity of
lifetime Moreover, in urging American SOL
diers and sailors not to let their policies lapse
they are also advertising the advantages of
insurance in general.
The insurance of its military forces by the
Government has in itself been a large adver-
tisement of insurance. Over 100000 men
have taken out insurance policies who never
gave the matter serious consideration before.
Many have seen the benefits of this insurance
in actual operation. They have seen young
men go over the top with remarkable courage
born of the thought that if they fell at least
their families would be well cared for. Re
Gently, young officer eturned to Washington
on a short leave Of absence from the front
One of his first duties was to look up the wife
and child of his former college chum who
had been killed in the trenches, and see II he
could be of any assistance He found that the
young wife had taken war job Gin order to
have a few hours in which she might forget"
and that her salary, together with the monthly
installments from he husbands $4,000 life
insurance, more than provided for herself and
child.
The government through its war risk
bureau has paid, and is still paying, thou
sands of such claims. The bureau has over
forty billion dollars worth of insurance on its .
rolls. Needless to say, this is the largest
amount of insurance that has ever been car
ried by one concern. The insurance written
900 a month, or $642, 900, 900 a week, or
$64, 900 minute, or 81 900 per second. The
premium income collected monthly by the
bureau is approximately $143,00O,000.
This insurance represents the claims of
of over 200, 900 men, distributed in amounts
Of about $4,000 per man. From the very be-
ginning when the first government policy was
written the men have unhesitatingly accepted
it. Among the illiterate individuals drafted
into the army-and Americans will regret to
hear that there has been a surprising number
"a little skepticism was felt at first. To
them the word government is often synony-
nous with tyranny, and they were disposed
to be cautious 1t took a good deal Of ex-
PLANTATION on the part of their officers to make
them see its benefits. Then they became its
strongest adherents. The story is told OF a
negro in one of the southern camps who held
out against war risk policy for long time
because he thought the proposition sounded
too good to be true. But on the day that
some of the other soldiers received their poll
cies he came running into the office OF the
adjutant, exclaiming, at wants a million dol
lars WORTH wants a million dollars worth
of insurance."