THE death recently in Belfast of Mr.

Joseph Devlin, the Nationalist Member of Parliament, recalls a notable appeal which he made on one occasion at the annual meeting of the Belfast Branch of the Institution in the Belfast City Hall: " There are no religious, political or moral differences in an assembly of this character. We are all called here in the interests of humanity. . . .

There is no more sublime form of charity than that carried out by the men and women engaged in life-boat work. I do not appeal to you to give what you can afford to help it; / appeal to you to give more than you can afford." The help which he gave the Institu- tion is a reminder that in Ireland, as in Great Britain, the life-boat service has, and has always had, the support of all political parties, even in times of the bitterest political strife..