ON 14th June, 1933, a life-boat society was established in Roumania. The King was its founder and is its president, and the governor of the National Bank of Roumania is ex officio the vice- president. The full title of the society is Societatea de Salvare a Naufragiatilor in Apele Teritoriale Romanesti (Society for the Rescue of the Shipwrecked in Roumanian Territorial Waters), with the short title of Salvamar. Like the Institution, it is a private society, but it has received a grant from the Government and taxes on its behalf will be levied on shipping entering Roumanian ports.

Before Salvamar was established the Roumanian Government had obtained from the Institution information about its organization and types of life-boat, and at the beginning of last November, at the request of Salvamar, the Institu- tion sent to Roumania, Lieut-Com- mander P. E. Vaux, D.S.C., R.N., inspector of life-boats for the Eastern District, to advise it on its intention of starting the service by placing a large motor life-boat at the principal port, Constanza, with a permanent crew, supplemented by a smaller motor life-boat to launch off the beach.

Lieut.-Commander Vaux spent three weeks in Roumania and the cost of his visit was borne by Salvamar. As a result of the report which he made, Salvamar has decided to have built a 51-feet Barnett (Stromness) type of motor life-boat, a 35 feet 6 inches light Liverpool motor life-boat, with car- riage, and a motor caterpillar tractor for launching.

The 51-feet Barnett life-boat (with its radius of action of 60 miles at full speed) has been chosen, as being the most powerful type that can be launched down a slipway. By having such a life-boat Salvamar will be able to cover the largest possible area from one station. It is the intention of Salvamar to establish stations in the next three or four years on other parts of the coast.

The Institution has supplied plans of these life-boats, and they and the tractor are probably to be built in Great Britain..