THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Photo frorn D. Morin. THE ITALIAN ALPS Vol. X OCTOBER, 1933 No. 10 jgiggg &Pjpyb INSURANCE SERVICE ANNUITIES AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION The officers of the Association have from time to time received inquiries from members and eligible non-members with regard to: A. The Association’s premium rate, namely, $15 per thousand per annum, which has been felt to be somewhat high in view of the benefits offered and, B. The question of insurance after retirement. An attempt will, therefore, be made in this and subsequent issues of the JOURNAL to dissipate doubts and misconceptions which exist in regard to these two matters. In determining whether the Association’s rate is excessive in view of the benefits offered there are three points, if carefully studied, which will show that the rate is not excessive, as follows: (1) The type of insurance offered by the Association is (3) A detailed study of the records of the Association GROUP INSURANCE—selected by its organizers because substantiate the points mentioned above, as it reveals the it serves at a minimum cost the greatest number of the startling fact that, since the Association was organized, members of the Foreign Service. The rate is an average a period of four and one-half years, the Equitable has of the rates for members in each age group and. as the been carrying insurance over that period on approximately membership consists of a larger proportion of senior of¬ three hundred and fifty lives in the amount of approxi¬ ficers, with a corresponding larger amount of insurance, mately one and one-half million dollars for a net charge the rate is naturally somewhat higher than it might be of $4,5S'6.06 or, on an average, for $1 022 per year. it if the Association had a larger number of younger members. would be unreasonable to expect any insurance company (2) Whenoperating the Association on a sound was basisorganized, to carry out suchof fourteena great risk for large insurance companies approached, only five were in¬ a smaller charge. A statement giving the figures upon terested in underwriting the group and, of the five inter¬ which this is based is as follows: ested companies, the Equitable offered the best proposition. PREMIUMS PAID TO EQUITABLE PAYMENTS BY EQUITABLE March 1—Feb. 28— Death and Disability Claims Dividends 1929 — 1930 $18,801.90 R. E. Holaday . $7,000 $1,705.21 H. C. A. Damm . 6.000 1. G. Finley . 2.000 1930 — 1931 21,755.62 E. P. Lowry . 5,000 7,348.45 E. H. Carter . 2 000 H. A. Lowe . 2,000 1931 — 1932 24,000.93 E. H. Dennison 7,000 6.299.00 G. R. Taggart 4,000 G. B. Starbuck . 2.000 H. E. Trammell . 2.000 1932 — 1933 25,609.02 R. S. Miller . 10,000 m None J. C. Huston 7.000 W. 1. Grace . 5.000 B. F. Hale 4,000 A ut;. 31 W. P. Garrety 3 000 1933 _ 1933 12,781.25 H. P. Starrett 9,000 None (Six months) H. B. Hitchcock 6,000 $102 948.72 $83,000 $15,352.65 Total of premiums paid to Equitable $102 948.72 Total of repayments by Equitable 98,352.66 Surplus of payments to Equitable $4,596.06 The above figures speak for themselves. However. in spite of the necessity for the present rate, it would be possible to reduce it if the eligible non-members between ages 24 and 40 could see their way clear to join the Association, as this would reduce materially the average age of the membership. Question (B) will be discussed in the next issue. EUGENE H. DOOMAN LOY W. HENDERSON JOSEPH E. JACOBS President Vice President Secretary-Treasurer J. ALAN MAPHIS, Insurance Advisor HARRY A. HAVENS, Assistant to Secretary-Treasurer TH1 FOREIGN S VOL. X, No. 10 WASHINGTON, D. C. OCTOBER, 1933 President Felicitates Emir By C. C. H. HIS Highness, the Emir of Fanatica, was in three-piastre stamp issued for the two-day coro¬ a violent rage that morning. Such was nation period. There were almost as many re¬ the state of his perfervid preoccupation quests on every one of the preceding 10 days. that he did not observe the arrival of the Minister That was not all. of the Court. “I am doing everything in my power to satisfy The Minister looked on and listened in dis¬ these requests, just for the sake of preserving may, wondering if it were not incumbent on him good relations with the great government in the to have the Court Physician casually drop in. West which is declared to be worthy of the respect Certainly the Emir was due for a stroke of apo¬ of the whole world. The ruling class in the plexy if ministrations were not made soon to calm United States may be people of good intentions his nerves, allay his wrought-up condition. but I do not understand why so many Americans Pacing the floor. His Highness would shout: should constantly pester me about small things “Pigs, every one of them!” Then, “Pigs, pigs, and try to drag me into their infernal publicity every one, I say!” schemes. He had crossed and recrossed the broad palace “There is no end to what they want. A few library several times before he happened to take days ago the postman brought me a small parcel note of his Court Minister's presence. Glancing containing several tubular looking packages of sharply at his chief ceremonial officer, he still had something called ‘shaving cream.’ I am not sure no words to express himself except, “Pigs, every what that is. In the same mail was a letter asking one of them.” me to try this cream, ‘cream,’ they call it, The Minister inquired: “Pigs, who, and what and to write them a letter if I liked it. If I am have they been doing?” honestly pleased, ‘honestly’ was emphasized, I am “Those Americans are pigs, every one of them, to write the manufacturers at some place in the I say,” His Highness retorted. “Do they think I vilayet of New Jersey and say so. have nothing to do but write my name on my “To make me like it I am to receive in return photograph, collect and mail postage stamps, and as an expression of appreciation of my sincere distribute my used pipes, cigarette holders, dis¬ testimonial, a sum, I think it is $5,000, to be used carded automobile license plates and old shoes to by me in any way I see fit for the betterment of every crazed souvenir hunter on the other side of my principality. No accounting will be required, the Atlantic Ocean? which sounds fair enough. This request, it will be “How long can this go on?” he proceeded seen, is not so objectionable as countless others poignantly. “Am I being insulted or assaulted? and I am considering it. One condition is that I don’t know.” I will allow the fabricators to print on every “Every day the routine is the same,” the Emir package after the firm name this line, ‘Sole Pur¬ continued. “For example, this morning there veyors to His Highness, the Emir of Fanatica.’ were in the post 47 requests for that surcharged Anyway this company realizes that my time, as 357 rpHE^MERICAN ^ OREIGN gERYICE JOURNAL well as my honorable title, is worth something structed to address copies to nine other persons in and wants to do the right thing. the process of sending this silly communication “But the audacity of some of these Ameri¬ five times round the world. cans I will not tolerate. I will resent to the point “If I failed, I was informed, dire tragedy, per¬ of interrupting relations, if necessary. There are haps certain death, would overtake me. For an some things a faithful Mussulman will not do. instant I thought of summoning my head hunters, I received yesterday a letter from an American then came a constructive idea. I ordered nine society, or firm, which seems to make a kind of copies of the letter sent to the nine most notori¬ sour milk called ‘face cream.’ Accompanying the ously disloyal of my subjects with a silent prayer letter was a proposition somewhat like the one that every one of them will break the chain. from the ‘shaving cream’ manufacturers, but un- “An American woman to whom I granted an pardonably offensive because it suggested the cor¬ audience a few days ago took up one hour of ruption of my harem. my time telling me about a new theology which “The letter was polite enough except that it she said was sweeping the world like a swarm of addressed me as ‘Mister Emir,’ but, of course, we locusts. I cut her short, informing her that there have to overlook some crude manners of those is but one true faith, the tenets of which are laid who are brought up under ignorant, democratic, down in the sacred Koran, and said ‘good day.’ infidel governments. “What I did not like,” said the Emir, still talk¬ “You,” the Emir continued, addressing his Min¬ ing, “was a request that a sample package of sour ister of the Court, “are to inform the American milk accompanying the letter be handed to ‘your Minister that 1 wish to see him at 5 o’clock this wife.’ If she found it softened and preserved her afternoon. I shall tell him that I will receive no skin she was to write the manufacturers saying so.