AT the invitation of La Societe Centrale de Sauvetage des Naufrages, the Hon.

George Colville, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Management, attended the Society's Annual Meeting, which was held in Paris on Sunday 17th May, but Mr. George Fisher, M.A.. the Secretary, was unable to be present. The two Dutch Life-boat Societies also sent repre- sentatives.

On the evening before the meeting, Vice-Admiral Touchard, President of the Society, entertained the guests to dinner in the garden of the Ritz. As the even- ing was sultry, it was very pleasant dining in the open air, but the surround- ings made formal speeches impossible.

Admiral Touchard, however, warmly welcomed the guests, and Mr. Colville replied.

The Annual General Meeting itself was ; held in the amphitheatre of the Sor- I bonne. Admission was by ticket, over 3,000 people were present, and practically every seat was occupied. After his ! opening speech the President, Admiral Touchard, decorated Coxswain Gouley, of the Honfleur Life-boat, with the Cross of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

This high honour was conferred on him as " a tried sailor of a courage beyond praise, the author of many acts of life- saving." For forty-three years he had been a member of the Honfleur Life- boat's crew, and had taken part in 29 services, by which 70 lives had been rescued.

The financial report for the year was then read, and its figures are very interesting in comparison with our own.

(They are given here at the pre-war value j of the franc.) The total income of the Society amounted to £110,000, and its total just under expenses to nearly £114,000, of which nearly £55,000 was spent on new construction. As, however, considerable sums had been brought forward from the previous year, the Society was able to put in reserve over £31,000 towards construction not completed during the year, and to carry forward a balance of over £10,000. Our own total income in the same time was £294,702 (of which £123,500 was from special gifts and legacies), and our total expenditure £246,634, of which sum nearly £100,000 was spent on new construction.

The French Society, it may be mentioned, has a fleet of 114 Lifeboats, of which 22 are Motor Life-boats, as compared with our own fleet at the end of 1924, of 220 Life-boats, of which 50 were Motor Life-boats.

One figure in the French accounts is of particular interest. " The magnificent contribution of the steamers," says the report, " should be mentioned first. It amounts to £18,758, striking proof of the confidence of the great users of the sea in the value of our organization and of our equipment for Life-saving." Presentation of Medals.

The report was followed by the presentation of over fifty medals and monetary awards which had been granted during the year for gallantry in saving life. Unlike the awards of the Institution, which are made for saving life from shipwreck round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, the French awards included a number for gallantry on the high seas. One of these, the Leon Guerin Prize, of the value of 2,150 francs, which had been awarded to the S.S. Ontario, of La Compagnie Generate Transatlantique, Mr. Colville had the At the same time, the Captain of the Ontario received a Gold Medal.

On 10th January, 1924, in a heavy sea the Ontario went to the help of the sinking Italian steamer Feronia, in answer to its wireless S. 0. S. Attempts were made to take the steamer in tow, but the hawsers broke. Next day further attempts were made, but the Feronia was out of control, and again the hawsers broke. Wireless calls were then sent out for tugs, but without resuit. Finally, on the fourth day, the Feronia went down, but the Ontario, exhausted though its crew was by the long struggle to save her, was able to rescue the twenty-nine men on board.

The total number of lives rescued from shipwreck by the French Service in 1924 was 288, and 15 vessels were saved or helped.

After the presentations there was a musical programme by the band of the 46th Regiment of Infantry and the Sadko Russian Choir, dressed in their national costumes; and Madame Dttsstruction.

reand we of Cals which i a cost o contain others service, room a Mayor cordial Mr. Col to be r sane of La Comedie franchise, who recited some poems, brought the house down by warmly embracing a young sailor, one of the recipients of awards, who presented her with a bouquet.

Altogether the meeting lasted two and a half hours.

Inspection of Life-boats.

On the following day the foreign guests were taken to Dunkirk by Commander Chollet, one of the Inspectors of Life-boats, and saw a launch of the Motor Life-boat. She is a boa t, 37 feet by 9 feet 2 inches, with one motor giving a speed of 7 knots, and is launched over a slipway, the capstan being worked by a petrol motor.

The party then visited Calais, where two boats are maintained near the Harbour Railway Jetty. The Motor Lifeboat is a twin-screw boat, 36 feet by 9 feet 5 inches, with two 10-12 h.p.

engines, and is conveyed by a trolley from the shed under a crane, worked by hand-power, by which she is lowered over the quayside into the harbour.

This Life-boat, it will be remembered, visited the Thames last year for our Centenary celebrations. The party went for a very enjoyable cruise in the Boat, and were then entertained by the Mayor Calais at the new Hotel de Ville, has only recently been finished at The building contains some very fine rooms, among a registry for the civil marriage a very large and beautiful ballroom and a fine council chamber. The gave the foreign delegates a very welcome, and in doing so told Mr. Colville that he was the first foreigner to be received in the new building.