The Tupelo journal., 1918-04-05
RELIEF OF SOLDIERS AND
SAILORS
Feb. 90, 1918.

FeD. ", IOIc.
The Soldiers and Sailors Civil Re-
lief Act, recently passed by Congress,
aims to protect soldiers and sailors
from undue hardships, due to then
inability to bring or defend lawsuits
and to attend to their business obi
CATION or property rights, during their
absence 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 nome,
and be liable to foreclosure for ION
payment. Or he may have started a
homestead or mining claim and be I'M
able 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 abb
sence the lapse of time may raise a
legal bar against suing for it when ne
returns. Or he may be sued on some
claim in his absence and may be I'M
able to defend the suit effectively
while absent.
In 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 set forth accurately
here. Enough to point out that It's
main principle is as follows:
% 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
inquiries into the merits of the case;
if the case merits it, the court has
power to stay the other party from
further proceedings, or to give other
remedy that may be appropriate. The
court may also appoint an attorney to
~represent the soldier 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 court
and give the notice above mentioned.
If no lawsuit has yet been begun, but
some landlord or other person is pre-
pairing to sell out or to take possession
of property in which the soldier or
sailor is interested, go 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 the court
for an order; but some persons may
attempt to take possession without
doing so, in ignorance of the new law.
60 If the soldier or sailor had an
insurance policy or a fraternal bene-
fit membership, before September l,
1917, and fears that he may not be
able to keep up his payments, he
should write to the War Risk Insur-
ance Bureau at Washington, and ask
them for a form of application Cor
ask his post adjutant at the camp
The Government, on certain condl-
tions, will guarantee the payment OF
the premiums, so that the policy or
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 MS
policy or membership. This relief
does.not apply to all policies or mem-
berships, and details can not be given
here; but on fling out the application
and sending it to the War Risk Insur-
ance Bureau it will be duly taken
care of, if it is the kind of insurance
that is protected by this Act.
ca Copies of the Act are being
sent to about 10000 lawyers, to all
superior courts, and to all Local
Boards; and the Boards have been
asked to hand a copy to the nearest
magistrate. Thus the courts ought to
be already well informed as to the
provisions of the new Act. Never
theless, the copies furnished to the
Red Cross officers and members will
doubtless be needed for further cir
culation to lawyers and magistrates.
Applicants for extra copies should be
directed to the Division Offices of the
Red Cross