New-York tribune., 1920-01-11
w ar Benefits
Nearly Trebled
UnderNewLaw
Representative Sweet, of
Iowa, Father of Bill, De-
scribes Its Effect on Men
and Their Dependents
$50, 900, 900 Added Cost
Term ''Parent" Extended to
Include Many, Barred
Under the Old Statute

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1o.-How month
ly benefits paid under the War Risk
insurance Act have been increased and
the class of benehciaries enlarged by
the recently enacted Sweet bill was
explained to-day by it's author, Repre-
sentative Sweet, of Iowa.
| converted insurance NAV now be
pald IN lump sum or in installments
for SO months or more at the option
OF the policy-holder, Mr.. Sweet said
while the policies may be made pay
able to any of the following:
Parent. grandparent, step-parent,
parent through adoption, husband,
wife. child, grandchild, stepchild, adopted
child. brother, sister, half-sister, half
brother, brother through adoption,
Stepmother, uncle. aunt, nephew, niece,
brother-in-law. sister-in-law; any per-
son who was in the relation of par
ent to the insured for one wear before
the nsured's enlistment, the children
OF such person; and parent through
adoption of the insured's wife or hus-
band
More Than Double Compensation
under the new law" said Mr.. Sweet. ais
more than double-almost treble--that
paid in the past. This increase, which
is permanent, will add sSO,000,00O a
year to the amounts paid by the gov
ernment to the disabled ex-service men
and their families.
by the retroactive provisions of the
law, all payments of compensation will
be increased to the new basis. Pay
ments are now being made by the War
Risk Bureau to make up the difference
kntV 11
and the new one. This is an Immediate
and direct benefit to 241 1922 veterans,
among whom $14,500,000 is being dis
tributed. For instance, an unmarried
soldier who has been drawing $50
month for the last year will receive
$500 at once, the monthly compensa
tion by the new law being increased
by $50 in his case"
Mr. Sweet also explained the perm
anent monthly increases provided for
all disabled ex-service men. For
compensation will be paid as follows:
To the unmarried veteran, $50 a
month. an increase from $50.
To the veteran with a wife. 500 a
month, an increase from $40
To the veteran with vito and child,
S95 month, an increase from $55.
To the veteran with wife and two
or more children, s100 month, an
increase from $65.
To the veteran, who has no wife,
but one child, 800 month, with SIS for
from $40.
To the veteran with dependent
parents, an extra allowance of $40 a
month for each is also granted. x
"Of course, all disabilities will not
come within the rating of total tenn
porary," Mr.. Sweet said, "and so the
new law provides that all disabilities
shall be rated by the War Risk
Bureau. These other ratings are:
partial and temporary, total and
permanent and partial and permanent,
ton shall be percentage of the de-
gree of reduction in earning capacity
resulting from this disability The re-
duction in earning capacity must be at
least ten per cent before one can re-
ceive any compensation.
For Total Disability.
"For total permanent disability the
compensation is fixed at S100 a month
The law specifically provides that the
loss Of both feet or both hands, or the
sight of both eyes, or the loss of one
foot and one hand, or one foot and
one eye, or one hand and one eye,
or becoming permanently bedridden
shall be deemed to be total permanent
disability. Then, too, double total
permanent disability entities one to
5000 q month as long as he lives For
instance, this double payment is for
hand and one foot, or both eyes and
both hands or both eyes and both
feet.
"The helplessly disabled are further
cared for under the new law by the
provisions directing the War Risk
Bureau to allow an additional $40
month to those veterans in need of
an attendant.
"No penalty is imposed by the law
on those disabled men for their in
dividual success in overcoming the
law directs that disability ratings shall
be based as far as practicable upon
the average imparmcnts of earning
capacity resulting from injuries in
civil occupations and not upon the
impairment Of earning capacity in
each individual case. From time to
time, the bureau is directed to read
just the schedule of ratings in ac-
cordance with actual experience.
BESIDES the money paid by the gov
ernment as compensation to the war
olsaOIed men, the law also provides
that all injured veterans shall be fur
nished with reasonable government
medical and hospital services and such
supplies, including artificial limbs,
trusses and similar appliances, as the
War Risk Bureau may determine.
This medical and hospital treatment
will be given to Americans who may be
living in foreign countries, as we'll as
in the United States, and Americans
who fought in the armies of the Allies
can receive the treatment at hospitals
in this country
| Twenty thousand to thirty thousand