Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-18
gepgRAl AUDITOR REFUSES 70
APPROVE DEATH CLAIMS OF
KNOWN DEAD.
iNSors ON ENFORCING
ABSOLUTE IMPossIBILlTY,
Attitude Of Treasury Official Blocks
Payment Of War Insurance to Kin
Of Boys Who Have Died, Notwith'
standing That Premiums Have Been
Paid-Pay 30 Dependents Still IS
Sailed Up.
TBy =. q. Dougherty.l

tBy II u. Dpugnerty.I
washington. Jan. 1s.-On top If the
wholesale muddle the federal govern
ment has made of the war risk insur-
ance and compensation law, new dis
turbing element was revealed today
when II became known that the auditor
for the war department, who is
treasury official, has thrown another
monkey wrench into the MACHINERY
Since the beginning of the war there
have ben almost a hundred Thousand
deaths from wounds in action ana
disease. Practically all Of the deceased
held government life insurance policies
The war department auditor now re-
fuses to approve vouchers for checks
to settle these death claims unless the
war risk bureau will certify to him
in every case that all of the premiums
have been paid in full by the insured
soldiers. This is an absolute impossi-
bility. The bureau would proceed on
the theory that since the premiums are
automatically deducted from the SOL
diers pay, 1t Is fair to assume that they
have been paid in every case. But this
mands individual certffication. The
only way in which the data for such
certification can be obtained is by an
examination Of the pay rolls OF the
army. These rolls, however, are made
UP according to the turns Of dis
bursting officers instead Of according
to military units. A man might be
paid one month by one disbursing
OFFICER, and another month by another.
To ascertain beyond the possibility of
q doubt that the premium had actually
been deducted in any individual case
1t might be necessary to examine hun
dreds of rolls, some Of them with many
thousands Of names on them. The
clerical labor involved would be enor-
nous and subject to error. A mans
military unit is only partial guide to
the location of his name on a particular
pay roll. This ruling Of the auditor.
therefore. is holding up thousands OF
death claims that have been passed by
the war risk bureau. and II it is not
modified will probably necessitate
special remedial legislation by con-
gress.
Bureau Far Behind.
The bureau is far behind in its pay
ments OF allowances and in its COM
pensation work, II was revealed today.
Correspondence regarding compensa-
ton claims is fully sixty days In
arrears. Aside from the delays. which
are the real troubles Of the bureau, ant
around which the storm Of criticism
turns, rs the question of what con-
stitutes dependency in relation to a
soldier. The bureau has rejected up
wards Of 10000 dependency claims
many of them after payments of allot-
ments had been made for some time or
the soldiers assertion Of the existence
OF the dependency relation. The great
majority of these dependents consider
themselves previously wronged and
when the soldier who has been setting
aside part Of his pay for such de-
pendent learns that the government is
refusing to match il with an allot-
ment he is naturally indignant and
aggrieved.
The cause of this trouble is in The
law itself, which provides that the de-
tendency must be actual. To delve into
hundreds of thousands Of cases ir
which the soldier claims dependency II
ascertain whether it is real or not Is
not only task Of bewildering proper
tons, but one that is bound frequently
to result in error and in a sense OF
wrong even if correctly determined
This situation explains many Of th'
thousands Of cases in which relatives
Of soldiers complain that after re.
ceiving allowances for a time the,
manded. Had congress been satisfied
to leave the question of dependency tc
be determined by tn soldier who wa
willing to give up part Of his pay be.
cause of his belief in the existence OF
dependence, there would have been 6
single course before the bureau. AS i
is, the course is a labyrinthine maze
involving a prodigious amount Of in
vestigation and a subtlety Of juds
ment that would be worthy Of
Solomon.
Attic Col Henry D. Lindsey, thu
new head Of the war risk bureau, Is
most capable official. it is believed her,
that the task of Strengthening out tn
difficulties in the bureau are far be
7 yond the strength Of one man. In fact
an expert who Is familiar with thu
maze Of problems and difficulties tina
wound themselves around the soldier.
insurance and compensation work say.
that 1t will require at least a hal
dozen OF sSe greatest executives ant
& organizers Of the country If solution
IS to be attained. In the end it wa.
suggested that it will be necessary To-
4 the treasury department 10 cali fu
-.
ability to help until the tangle II
/. straightened out and efficient routin,
~ established.