The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-03
CONGRESS HAS
ACTED OFTEN
TO Give CARE
Chief Among Assistance
Methods Is Insurance
100000 GET HELP
Payments to Disabled Also
Provided by Law
makers.
100000 GET Help
BY JOHN M. GLEISSNER
Times Stan Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3.-Agita-
ION Tor immediate cash payment of
1ne soldier bonus has revived inter-
est IN measures the government
LOOK TO protect veterans during and
after the war.
90 lar i've and half billion dol
iars have been spent for insurance.
hospital care, and as compensation
for injuries.
Next year it is expected close to
nllilon dollars will be used by the
veterans administration.
congress year after year has
given the veterans greater benefits.
some 100000 former soldiers or
their relatives are getting help of
one kind or another, and there are
IN addition 464, 900 pensioners of the
spanish American and Civil wars
on the rolls. ~
Aided With Insurance
Chief among the ways in which
the government already has sought
TO help ex-soldiers is through in
surance.
When war broke out in 1917 poll
cies were offered all men in the
army and the navy at a low rate,
and most Of the 100000 men serV-
ing took advantage of it. Policies
ranged up to $4,000, and were paid
Tor by deductions from monthly pay.
Men in service thus were given
the same sort Of protection as CT
villains, which they could not other
wise have had.
Policies were made payable in in
stallmentS over period Of twenty
years.
The government hoped with it's
war risk insurance act to avoid fas-
tening new pension system on the
country, like that which followed
the Civil war.
Many Claims Paid
William G. McAdoo, then secre-
tary of the treasury, supported by
President Wilson and others, led the
fight for the insurance law.
The policy decided upon was that
the dependents of any person killed
in the war should be cared for
amply and that any one wounded
or injured otherwise should be sup
ported.
But there was to be no system
of service pensions.
Those supporting the bill got their
ideas largely from workmen's COM
pensation laws.
World war casualties were 233, 900,
of whom 37,568 were killed in action
and 1892 died of wounds.
There were 1854 wounded, all
of whom had the protection of the
compensation feature of the law.
Most of those killed had insurance.
The records show that 5,722 in
surance claims were paid as a result
of deaths in 1918. that 98,675 were
paid the year following and 32,799
the next year. These largely were
as a direct result of the war.
Disabled Men Helped
McAdoo said, this scientific, we'll
balanced equitable and compre-
hensive measure will be a substitute,
or should be a substitute for the
pension system as applied to the
present war and ought to make i'm
possible, as it certainly will make
unnecessary future pension legisla-
ton with its inequalities and
favoritism."
Congress frequently has made it
easier for veterans to reinstate
their insurance where they have
allowed it to lapse. About $4,000
policies still remain in force.
Payments to injured veterans and
widows and children under the
compensation section of the act now
amount to $4,000 q year. About
275,ooO veterans benefit and 10000
dependents.
Congress also has provided from
SIP to $40 a month to those who
are disabled, whether their trouble
came as a result of the war or not.
About 325, 1000 veterans have applied
for this help.
1t is estimated that 10000 will
benefit this year and that by 1885
the number will have grown to