By COUNT KOZO YOSHII, President of Teikoku Suinan Kinsaikai (the Imperial Japanese Life-boat Society).[Count Kozo Yoshii represented the Imperial Japanese Life-boat Society at the International Life-boat Conference held in London, in July of last year. During his visit he wrote, for publication in " The Lifeboat," the following account of the Japanese Life-boat Service."] IN 1888 Count Kuroda, former Prime Minister of Japan, published an accountof his travels in Europe and America, in which he related the existence of a Russian Society for saving life from sea casualties. The deity enshrined at Kato-Hira, in Shikoku, is believed to protect seafarers from sea dangers. Mr. Koto-oka, who was the chief priest of the shrine, was much struck by Count Kuroda's account, and thought that the welfare of seafarers might be better sustained if such an organization wasadded to their prayers. Thus he founded the Society in 1889, with the assistance of the Marquis Nabeshima and others. A few life-saving stations were established, but his death in 1892, and some other circumstances, caused the Society's affairs to remain in abeyance for some years.

In 1896 the Imperial Parliament up advised the Government to take life-saving from shipwreck as a national undertaking, but it decided to assist the Society with a small annual subsidy and to continue its work. With the earnest attention paid to the affairs of the Society by H.I.H. the Prince J. Arisu- gawa, the chief patron of the Society, much progress was made. The late Emperor made donations; the people began to understand the importance of the undertaking.The chief patron of the Society is always an Imperial Prince, who appoints the governors of prefectures as chair- men of local committees. They enlist the subscribers so as to enable the Society to establish life-saving stations.

At the headquarters of the Society there is a President, a Board of Directors, and seventy. Councillors.

At the end of March, 1923, there were eighty-three life-saving stations and some minor establishments, with 176 Life-boats and Surf-boats, and 9,700 fishermen and others enrolled to act as Life-boatmen. Some of the Life-saving stations and most of the minor establish- ments are still insufficiently equipped, but a self-denying spirit prevails, and good work is done even with these scant means.

Until a few years ago Life-boats were built only on the model of local fishing boats, and none of them can be com- pared with the high standard attained by boats employed by the Royal National Life-boat Institution. The Society is now building Motor Life-boats, of which eight are ready.

From its foundation up to March, 1923, the Society's Life-boatmen assisted at 8,300 sea casualties, mostly fishing- boats, involving the safety of 42,620 persons. Rice and fish being the principal food of the people, there are more than 42,000 boats engaged in fishing in Japan.

The Society also maintains a small light-house.

The flag of the Society is a red life buoy on a white ground.