Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-12
British Red Gross of the Sea
To Observe Centenary Soon
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

BY THE MARQCISE DE FONTENOY.
England's future king as president
of the Royal National Lifeboat Insti-
tuition, which has justly been de-
scribed as England's Red Cross serv-
ice of the sea, has addressed invita-
tions to the leading representatives
Of the lifeboat societies and services
of other nations to take part in the
celebration of the centenary of the
British organization, which COM
mences on Tuesday, the 4th of March
next, and which will continue
throughout the summer, eliminating
in an international conference to be
held on the 18th OF July for the dis
cussion of number of questions af-
fecting this particular branch of mari
time relief work, such as the interna-
tional uniformity of signals to be
used by vessels in distress and by
lifeboats.
One of the first invitations that have
been dispatched bearing the Prince
of Wales signature is that addressed
to the Massachusetts Humane Society,
which may be described as the pioneer
whereas the Royal National Lifeboat
Institution of Great Britain was
founded in March, 1894 at. the City
of London Tavern, under the patron
age of King George ~. by Col. Sir
bishop of Canterbury, the bishops of
London and of Chester, the then
Prime Minister Lord Liverpool, Sir
Robert Peel, George Canning, Lord
John Russell and William Wilber-
force, the champion abolitionist, the
Massachusetts Humane Society, a
purely benevolent institution, had or
ganized as far back as in 1889 life
saving service along the rocky coast
of that state, equipped with huts and
with lifeboats. for use by volunteer
crews. the earliest station being that
at CohaSSet
Between 1s4s and 1870 this society
secured appropriations from Con-
maintains no less than sixty-nine
lifeboat stations along the Massa,,
chusetts coast entirely Independent,
though working in friendly union,
with the lifeboat service inaugural
ed by the United States government
in 1s4S on the coast of New\Jersey
and which, now under the direction of
the Treasury Department at, Wash
ington, has no less than three hun
dyed fully equipped stations. some
and gulf coast, eighteen on the Pa
cific coast and Sixty-one on the great
lakes and one at. the falls of the Ohio
river at Louisville, Ky.
+ p X 4
Now, whereas the lifeboat saving
service Of the United States, exclu-
sive of the splendid work of the
Massachusetts, Humane Society, is
maintained and paid for by the Unit
ed States government as a federal
, institution, the Royal National Life
Boat Institution of Great Britain is
purely voluntary, that Is to say phi
lanthropic organization, where the
stations and the boats, some of the
most modern ones costing as much as
| $4,000 to build, are paid for by pub
! lie subscription and by revenues de-
society has an annual income of a
little over q million dollars. 1t has
| 243 lifeboats scattered around the
! 5000 miles or more OF coast or the
| British Isles. with some lo,o00 train
ed surfmen in it's service-that sew
ice being for the most part, entirely
voluntary and unpaid.
There ia never any difficulty about
finding the volunteers to man the
lifeboats when a ship Is in danger.
| longshore population and flsherfolk.
with their unrivaled knowledge of
! the local waters and Of the points of
| danger on the shore. And If the CEN
4, tennial celebration is to be made the
J occasion of drive. not among the
| foreign guests of the institution, bu,
| among the people Of Great Britain
it is solely in order to improve and
| renew the boats and the equipment
A motor lifeboat. costing, as l have
/ said above, in the heighborhood OF
100000, can accomplish immeasur.
i.,biy more effective work In the saw.
i ing off life In q storm-beaten coast
kthan the original lifeboRt Of 1ot