Judge, 1918-02-09 · page 29 of 36
Judge — February 9, 1918 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon but a corporate advertisement disguised as a financial report. Published February 9, 1918—during America's involvement in World War I—it presents New York Life's financial strength ($934 million in assets) while pivoting to patriotic messaging. The key propaganda elements: the company urges policyholders to buy War Savings and Thrift Stamps, and notably directs agents to refuse insurance applications from soldiers and sailors unless they've already maxed out government-provided coverage. This positioning serves dual purposes—demonstrating corporate patriotism while protecting the company's bottom line by steering military applicants toward federal programs. The substantial Liberty Loan Bond holdings ($12 million) further signal the company's commitment to financing the war effort. The overall message: New York Life is financially sound, profitable, and patriotically aligned with government wartime priorities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
February 9, 1918 73d ANNUAL REPORT NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY 346 & 348 BROADWAY = - ~~ NEW YORK CITY (Organized under the liws of the State of New York) TO THE POLICY-HOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC: Admitted Assets, Dec. 31,1917. . . . . . $934,929,381.52 These assets are the property of over 1,000,000 people with their dependents (in accordance with their contractual rights). The Company is purely mutual; it has no capital stock. Legal Liabilities . . . » oe ee ©) $760,742,335.52 Reserved for dividends payable in 1918 $26,561,063.64 Reserved for dividends on deferred dividend policies 107,041,778.00 40.584,204.36 $174,18 7,046.00 Total . ~ . « « «6 $934,929,381.52 For the year 1917 the Company’s mortality rate was the lowest in its history Average earning power of total Ledger Assets— December 31, 1917, 4.59%. December 31, 1916, 4.54%. New: paid business for the year. 6 ssc. co0% cons ona pea sone qa can eee vam equ eee $316,000,000 Outstanding insurance, end of 1917 -..... $2,673,000,000 Paid policy-holders during year.... $87,000,000 The annual dividend rate of 1917 will be maintained in 1918. Liberty Loan Bonds owned Dec. 31, 1917 $12,075,000 SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT We urge all policy-holders to buy War Savings and Thrift Stamps. We have directed all Agents to take no application for insurance from a soldier or sailor unless the applicant already has the limit with the Government. BACK UP THE GOVERNMENT A detailed statement will be sent to any person asking for it. January 14, 1918. DARWIN P. KINGSLEY, President.