THE story of the services rendered by the Life-boats in direct connexion with the war cannot be told until the end of the war. When it is unfolded it will be seen that the Institution has carried out, both in the letter and in the spirit, the fine ideals laid down by its founders nearly one hundred years ago, when they declared that its services were to be carried on in peace and war alike.

Unfortunately, national exigencies, as interpreted by the Censor, have prac- tically prevented the Institution from receiving that public recognition which would assuredly be accorded to it were the facts known with regard to the service rendered to His Majesty's ships , and other vessels which have been mined, torpedoed, and otherwise in | jeopardy through the action of the | enemy. The absence of such publica- i tion has made it possible for many people, even after four years of war, to ask i whether the Institution is really doing war work! As our readers are aware, ; nearly 5,000 lives have been saved by the Life-boats since the outbreak of war, and of this number over 1,600 ; have been rescued from casualties directly attributable to the war, the i Life-boats having been launched over 1 500 times to such casualties alone.

A very gratifying feature of the 1 splendid work performed by the Life- boat crews throughout the war has been the generous recognition given by foreign Governments from time to time, the Norwegian authorities having been par- ticularly prompt in this matter. Re- cently, the Dutch League of Neutral Countries has taken similar action in connexion with one of the most out- rageous attacks of the Germans on neutrals. On February 23rd, 1917, the St. Agnes Life-boat was launched in response to signals from the Bishop's lighthouse, and found that seven Dutch and one Norwegian steamers had been torpedoed by a German submarine.

The Life-boat fell in with two ship's boats full of men, and two of the Life- boat crew were put on board to take them into safety. The Life-boat then heard that other boats were in the vicinity, and, after some search, fell in with another boat. This service re- sulted in three boats and forty-seven men being saved.The Dutch League of Neutral Countries has now awarded medals to the officers and crew of the St. Agnes Life-boat, and to the trawlers who assisted on ; this occasion. In a letter addressed to 1 the First Lord of the Admiralty the League writes :— i " The League of Neutral Countries makes ! free to offer your lordship, as head of the ; British Navy, commemorative medals destined for the sailors in question. May you con- sider this act as one of the numerous moral and intellectual ties which bind England and Holland together.... Our warmest admira- tion is for those who give their lives for the liberty of the world, and we are glad to have this occasion for the expression of these feelings." We give a reproduction of the obverse and reverse of the medal. It will be noted that the inscription states that the attack took place on the 22nd February, but the service of the St. Agnes Life-boat was on the 23rd February.