Devices (bronze) of the arms of the service worn on army officers' coats and shirt collars; also on privates' service caps. All insignia, etc., shown relate to Army-Navy line service uniforms only.

On November 8, 1917, the United States Army and Navy had a strength of 2,007,391 men, subject to constant increase. The United States Army numbered 1,735,820 men, divided as follows: United States Regular Army, 370,000; United States National Guard Army, 469,000; United States National Army, 616,820; special branches, 200,000; reserves, 80,000. A considerable proportion of the Army, including Marines, was on the French allied battlefront on that date, with constant accessions arriving.

Infantry Machine Gun Ordnance Quarter Medical Ambulance
Battalion Dept. Master Dept.

Nurses'

Corps

Corps,
Med. D.

Corps,
Med. D.

Ten thousand soldiers are being sent into the woods of the Northwest as the Spruce Production Division of the Signal Corps. Their duties are to get out spruce and fir for airplane stock. These men are volunteering from Western National Army camps and from civil life and from other services to counteract the trouble caused by I. W. W. agitation in western lumber camps. A monthly production of 15,000,000 board feet of spruce is required to take care of the extra needs for the aircraft construction program, and small operators are being encouraged to get out rived timbers in order to speed up production. Four New York State College of Forestry students have enlisted in these logging squadrons and have left Syracuse for Vancouver Barracks. -American Forestry.

AMENDMENT TO WAR RISK

INSURANCE ACT

C

HANGES in the law affecting the money received by families and relatives of men in the Army and Navy, which may cause some confusion unless every person now drawing money on a soldier's or sailor's allotment or allowance understands what is being done, are explained by the Home Service Officials of the American Red Cross. As a result of these changes, several hundred thousand checks issued by the Bureau of War Risk Insurance beginning August 1st will be reduced in amount. The Red Cross, has, however, undertaken to see that no relative of a man in the army or navy shall suffer for lack of money while allowances are delayed or through any other misfortune.

DEPENDENTS OF A MAN GETTING $30 A MONTH AND alloting $15 to his wife and children are not affected and will continue to receive the same amounts.

A MAN GETTING MORE THAN $30 a month, under the old system, had to allot at least $15, and frequently much more than that up to half his pay. Under the new regulations, however, the amount which every enlisted man is required to allot to his wife and children, irrespective of the amount of pay he is receiving, is $15. If he has been contributing more than this and wishes to continue to do so, he may make a new allotment for the difference through the War or Navy Departments. Prompt notice of these facts has been sent to men in all branches of the military and naval service, but it will, of course, require some time for the new forms to be executed and returned to Washington.

FOR DEPENDENT PARENTS, BROTHERS, SISTERS and GRANDCHILDREN, the flat voluntary allotment of a man is now $15 in order to obtain the full allowance, unless a compulsory allotment is also being made to a wife and children, in which case it is only $5, making the total allotment $20.

THE WAR RISK INSURANCE BUREAU WILL DISCONTINUE THE HANDLING OF ALLOTMENTS WHICH DO NOT CARRY ALLOWANCES. In many cases men have made ALLOTMENTS to parents, brothers or sisters through the War Risk Insurance Bureau, but have NOT requested the Government ALLOWANCE. If the man wishes them to continue to get the allotment, he must make a NEW application through the War and Navy Departments. If he decides that he does not care to do this, these relatives will cease to receive any payments whatever.

If such a relative should deem himself entitled to the Government allowance by reason of dependency, he can only secure it in the future by ASKING THE MAN to discontinue his allotment through the War or Navy Departments, for instance, and to MAKE APPLICATION to the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, stating that he wishes to make an allotment which will carry an allowance with it.

RELATIVES OR FRIENDS OF ENLISTED MEN NOT INCLUDED IN EITHER OF THE ABOVE GROUPS-wife, child or former wife divorced, who has not remarried and to whom alimony has been decreed, or parent, brother, sister or grandchild-to whom allotments have been made, will continue to receive them through the War Department or Navy Department as previously. Allotments to such persons were never handled by the Bureau of War Risk Insurance and no change is contemplated in this regard.

THE WAR AND NAVY DEPARTMENT OFFICES, WHICH WILL HANDLE SUCH ALLOTMENTS UNDER THE NEW PLAN as can no longer be made through the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, are as follows:

In the Army, through the "Office of the Quartermaster-General, U. S. Army, Washington, D. C."

In the Navy, through the “Navy Allotment Officer, Navy Department, Washington, D. C.”

In the Marine Corps, through the "Paymaster, U. S. Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington, D. C."

In the Coast Guard, through the "Captain Commandant, U. S. Coast Guard, Washington, D. C.”

SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' FAMILIES SHOULD UNDERSTAND that the changes outlined above were determined upon after careful study and with the approval of the War Department and Navy Department for the purpose of speeding up delivery of Government checks to the relatives of enlisted men.

Under the new plan the payment of allotments and allowances is simplified. The Bureau of War Risk Insurance will now handle allotments of only two amounts-$15 and $20. Formerly the allotment was on a sliding scale and had to be changed every time a man's pay was increased by promotion or otherwise. This required from 150,000 to 200,000 changes per month.

By transferring to the War and Navy Departments all allotments NOT CARRYING ALLOWANCES, the Bureau of War Risk Insurance can concentrate all its attention upon payments to persons entitled to the Government allowance, and it is believed that this simplification of the work will tend to speed up the delivery of checks to these persons.

Although the institution of these changes may cause temporary delay and concern to soldiers' families, unless the reasons for the changes are understood, it is expected that the ultimate result will greatly redound to their benefit, and the Office of the Quartermaster-General states that no delay is anticipated.

In some instances, however, relatives of a soldier or sailor may find that their man in the service has not taken the necessary steps outlined above to see that his people at home continue to receive the same payments as formerly, through the War or Navy Departments, INSTEAD OF through the Bureau of War Risk Insurance. In such cases the relative should write him urging upon him the necessity of taking the necessary action. It is a matter which lies purely in his discretion. He is under no compulsion from the Government.

THE HOME SERVICE AGENTS OF AMERICAN RED CROSS WILL RELIEVE ANY RESULTING HARDSHIP. Soldiers and sailors and their families should be inspired with confidence that if distress results in any case by reason of these changes in governmental procedure, the Red Cross Home Service stands ready to relieve it. Where necessary to prevent hardship, the Red Cross will make payment from its own funds until the Government checks arrive. Relatives of the enlisted men should not regard this as charity, but as part of the responsibility which the Red Cross has assumed for maintaining the morale of American soldiers and sailors by instilling them with confidence that their families will not suffer for the necessities of life during their absence.