THE eighth International Life-boat Conference took place in Bremen from the 23rd to the 25th of June, 1959. The hosts were the German life-boat society, Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbriichiger.

Delegates from seventeen nations took part in the conference. In addition to representatives from the German life-boat society and from the Royal National Life-boat Institution and the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, there were delegates from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the U.S.S.R. The United States Coast Guard submitted a number of papers for discussion, but was not represented at the conference.

The new life-boat built for Ballycotton Ethel Mary, under the command of Commander E. W. Middleton, Superintendent of the Depot, and manned by a crew consisting mainly of the Institution's staff, made the passage to Bremen, as did rescue vessels from Norway, Poland and Sweden.

Welcome by President The opening ceremony took place in the Bremen City Hall, where the delegates and their ladies were welcomed by the President of the German Federal Republic, Professor Theodor Heuss. A symphony orchestra played Haydn's Oxford Symphony. Earl Howe replied in a speech on behalf of the guests.

At the various sessions of the conference thirty-two papers which had been submitted were discussed, the language in which the discussions were held being English. Among matters discussed on the first morning were the problem of distributing information about life-boats and life-saving to countries not represented at the conference, and a Norwegian proposal for closer co-ordination in the reporting of the position of ships in the North Sea.

It was generally felt that the papers submitted to the conference and the report of the discussions held should be distributed to other nations interested in the work of life-saving, but there were differing views on the problem of the reporting of ships' positions.

A discussion on helicopters followed, and while it was generally agreed that rescue by helicopter lay outside the direct responsibility of life-boat societies there was some discussion of a Dutch proposal that the super-structure of life-boats should be painted yellow or, alternatively, that life-boats should fly yellow flags to make them more easily seen from the air. A number of questions were asked about the Oakley life-boat, on which Commander S. W.

F. Bennetts, Chief Inspector, had submitted a paper, and on a Finnish vessel, which could serve both as a rescue cruiser and for fire-fighting.

German Life-boat Demonstrated On the afternoon of the first day, delegates visited the depot of the German life-boat society and were shown over the new German life-boat Theodor Heuss. Demonstrations of different types of life-jackets were held, which served to show how few of the types exhibited could be relied upon to prevent an unconscious man from drowning, and a radio-controlled model of the Theodor Heuss was demonstrated.

Delegates then saw an extremely impressive film showing a remarkable rescue carried out from the shore by the Icelandic life-saving society.

Discussions on the second day were mainly concerned with technical matters. A paper had been submitted by the United States Coast Guard on plastic life-boats, but it was generally agreed that none of the countries whose delegates were present had had satisfactory experiences in the use of plastics in life-boats. The general feeling was summed up by one of the Norwegian delegates, Captain Holter, in the statement : " Before you go in for plastics touch wood." The shortcomings of foam plastic in life-jackets, which has been used experimentally in some countries, were also discussed at some length, and it was agreed that delegations should send their proposals on the best types of life-jackets for use by those engaged in rescue work to the Royal National Life-boat Institution.

Need for More Information A Swedish proposal on the need for further information about life-saving facilities, including air-sea rescue services, all over the world was generally approved ; but proposals for the provision of a weather ship in the North Sea met with divided opinions. There was a lengthy discussion on certain Swedish proposals for trying to persuade the owners of more and more small craft to make use of the directionfinding instrument generally known as SARAH to enable them to be more easily located when in distress. Another subject which gave rise to some discussion was the problem of the legal protection of rescue craft in time of war, and it was agreed that the Governments concerned should be recommended to consider certain proposals related to the application of the Geneva Convention.

On the evening of the second day delegates and their ladies visited Vegesack, the birthplace of the German life-boat society, the trip being made down river by two German life-boats, a Polish rescue vessel and the Ballycotton life-boat. The method of launching the small, so-called "daughter boats" from the German life-boats was demonstrated.

Paper from Soviet Union On the third day the paper submitted by the Soviet Union on the nature of the Soviet rescue service was discussed at some length, and plans were considered for the holding of the next life-boat conference. Later in the day delegates visited the Norwegian, Polish and Swedish rescue vessels. At a dinner that evening the chairman, who had presided throughout the conference, Consul H. Helms, formally proposed that the ninth International Life-boat Conference should be held in Great Britain. In reply Earl Howe stated that he must first consult the Committee of Management of the Royal National Life-boat Institution, but that he himself believed the Committee would heartily welcome the proposal.

The organisation of the conference by the German life-boat society was flawless throughout, and the skill with which the chairman conducted the discussions aroused the admiration of all present. The delegates were also most fortunate in the hospitality which they received, among those who entertained them being the German life-boat society, the Senate of Bremen, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce and the Bremen Association of Shipowners..