The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-10-03
SOLDIERS INSURANCE
EXTREMELY LIBERAL
Every Inducement Is Being Made To
Encourage Men To Keep Up
Their Insurance

The farms of the country contri-
buted about one-fourth of the man
power of the forces of the United
States engaged in the War.
1t is estimated that 100000 men
who served in the Army the Navy and
the Marine Corps were born and rear
ed on American farms.
A total of 4,539,048 men took out
War Risk Insurance, their aggregate
policies totalling nearly $40,000,0OO
and each policy averaging $500. OF
this total insurance, service men from
the farming districts carried approx
mately $1O,420,000, and by far the
greater percentage of this insurance
was made payable to wives, mothers,
fathers and other relatives who reside
on farms
The average age of the men who
fell in action; died of wounds or from
other causes during the war, was %
years, and because of their youth,
by far the greater percentage were
unmarried men. Which explains why
AT per cent of the policies taken
out named mothers as beneficiaries,
16 per cent named fathers and only
IT per cent named wives.
In the original War Risk Act pro-
vision was made for the policies writ
ten on service men during the war
to be continued as permanent Gov
eminent Insurance. To avail them
selves of the opportunity to convert
their War Risk Insurance into per-
manent United States Government
Insurance it is necessary that the men
discharged from service continue to
pay their monthly premiums, and at
some time during the five years fol-
lowing the formol declaration of
peace that they convert into a per-
manent policy.
From the record it appears that
only about twenty-five per cent OF
the men who had insurance during
the war are continuing to keep up
their insurance. This is largely due
to the fact that the men were UNI
familiar with the provisions of the
Act, or that they have not felt finan-
cially able to carry their insurance at
this time.
To guard against any man losing
his right to Government Insurance
because of this condition the Secre-
tary of the Treasury recently issued
a ruling allowing every man eighteen
months in which he has the opportunity
to reinstate his insurance after he has
allowed it to lapse because OF non
ayment of premiums.
This reinstatement privilege should
be clearly understood. So lond as
man is not paying his premiums ne is
not insured. His reinstatement prl-
vilege merely gives him the right to
again have Government Insurance
without undergoing physical examin-
alton, and upon the payment OF two
months premiums.
A nation wide campaign has been
inaugurated fir direct personal con-
tact with former service men through
which they may be informed Of their
rights to permanent Government In
surance, and in this campaign have
been enlisted the American Red
Cross, the Y. NJ. C. A., the Knights
of Columbus, the Salvation Army,
the Y. NJ. H. A., the Boy Scouts, and
numerous other National social well
fare organizations. In addition more
than $4,000 life insurance agents
have been enlisted. The volunteer
roll further includes thousands of
bankers, doctors lawyers, manufac-
turers, other business men and repre-
sentatives of all associations which
come in contact with discharged ser
The former service man who lives
on the farm will be reached to
large extend through banks which
Continued on Page Five.)