Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-03
VET BRINGS SUIT
THAT MEANS 283
MILLIONS To j. s.
Now Gets $500 Vocational
Money and Has 500 for Life,
Wants $3.50 More.
Special to The Tribune.

special to The Tribune.
Missoula. Nov. 2.-DeWitt T.. Law.
disabled soldier of the world war. now
a vocational student in the Law school
of Montana state university. made fed
eral court history when he brought
suit against the United States TO col
lect on term insurance for disability.
1t is the first case of its kind on rec
ord In the federal courts Of the ma
ton. Law is prosecuting his own case.
IL he wins it will be by an interpreta-
ton of the term disability" that will
mean an expenditure of $3.50, 500, 200
annually by the government in payment
of similar claims. A great number of
these cases are said to be now pending
before the veterans wal bttreau.
ands of wounded ~doughboys is focused
on the case. That the government
considers it a crucial one is evidence
by the fact that IN imposing array OF
legal and medical talent has been sent
out from Washington to combat the
claims Of the one-armed veteran OF
Argonne wood who is fighting ms
legal battle absolutely alone.
Federal Judge George NJ. Bourauin
took the case under advisement u
gave the attorneys on both sides OF
the case 80 days in which 70 lie
briefs. The court will then gave It's
decision.
Lost Arm Overseas
Law lost his left arm in the war
and also claims to have flat feet, "a
wound in one leg and neurasthenia,
as a result of his army service. Inc
| plaintiff has already been granted vo-
| u,4;o1oJ +,afp;re NTH q Satry OF SlDt
a month and compensation, after tram
ing is over of 500 a month during ms
lifetime. He is o trying to coiect
term payments on war risk insurance
basing his claim on the fact that ne Is
permanently disabled in that he cannon
return to his former occupation, farm
ing. If he is successful he VIII re.
ceive an additional payment OF Sof.oo
monthly. incidentally the govern
ment claims to be able to produce ar
fjdavits proving that at the time Oh
! his entrance into the service Law was
preparing for n professional career
in the law school of the University OF
Kansas and therefore cannot ciaihl
disability. This was not al
the hearing though 1T VIII ooa
constitute an important phase OF 'he
later. proceedings
Acts as Own Attorney
As his own attorney. Law amlI1
himself on the witness stand, ASKING
himself a list of questions which he
!. had prepared and then answering
7 them. He also had occasion 70 ex-
anime Dean c. w. Leaphart of tne
legsl department of the university. T.
n Roberts. the blind vocational stu
dent at the university, testified as 70
the working of his policy d the
war risk insurance bureau. ifooer'
Fuller. Laws roommate, testified as
to Laws nervous condition. Ia" !
story of the circumstances under Wnicf
he was wounded brought back V1V1e
memories of the war and the appear
ance of Fuller as 4 witness added an
"thar dramatic touch to the proceed
ings. Many students from the ia'
school of the university were present
, Law viii combat some OF oncl'
Sans best legal talent. Ronald fi!g
rims. assistant United States dlstrlc
attorney. is assisted by E. l.. Horton
who is specially delegated by the yet
/ Grams War bureau to handle suen lie
! gal matters and who was sent iron
!, Washington to take part IN the pres
; emf proceedings. The physical ex'
:. animation of Law was onducee 0.
medical men sent here by the govern
. ment: DR.. David q. Smith OF IN
medical board of review of the lnlte'
States vet: DR.. George A. Rowian'
r of the chief rating section OF the pu
reau; and DIR. Walker of Fort darrl
! son OF the United States pubic neat
service. The case was not trled pe
: fore a jury since the court holds ina
f if the government permitted a war rlsl
. insurance action to be flled II nus
proceed as an action IN admiralty Ill
that therefore no jury IS aiiowaoie'
Inv. in his argument. analysed IN
Insurance policy and suggested to tn
tcourt that its provision be mterpre
led in the light of the spirit and tn
occasion under which it was ISSUED
He said that the policies were issue
for the protection of men in the neg
many of whom were illiterates and tn
majority of whom were men III mum
. hle occupations. These men, he sait
were the ones the government wante
10 protect when they came home. III
cited 10 the court decisions IN y nun
her Of cases which, he said, were par
allel to his own.
Says Has Meurasthenia
Yhe ex-service man claims that h
Is Suffering ltphA Kat Avn "Aa
rastheuia in addition to his suffer
ings from IN amputated left arm m
other wounds in the thigh and lei
When it developed that these were ne
q referred 10 in his first claims La
pointed out that he did not think
necessary to state these facts as d
o was under the care of governmer
e doctors who knew his. condition.
= IF Law. under the injuries and d.
. abilities that he is suffering by res
y son OF his service, can recover as b.
X Ing permanently and totally disable
II then there are about 10000 cases OF
n similar kind wherein the disabled pc
son would be entitled TO the same r.
lief" said one of the federal counse
. land all of the persons involved won
o receive, in addition to vocational tran
Is ING and compensation allowance
Q s51.5o per month during their M,
a time, meaning an expenditure of $3.50
III 800 oo annually by the government
~ I1 ~. Anf