1. A MAGNETIC LATCHING RELAY COMPRISING A PERMANENT MAGNET COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF OVERLAPPING PARTS, SAID PERMANENT MAGNET ESTABLISHING A MAGNETIC FLUX IN A PREDETERMINED PATH, A MOVING ARMATURE ADJACENT AN END OF SAID MAGNET, SAID PATH INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE AIR GAP ADAPTED TO BE BRIDGED BY SAID MOVING ARMATURE, ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR GENERATING FLUX INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND WINDINGS, SAID PERMANENT MAGNET BEING SHAPED ALONG LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE DIRECTIONS TO SUPPORT SAID FIRST AND SECOND WINDINGS, THE FIRST WINDING BEING WOUND AS A COIL IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE PERMANENT MAGNET TO PRODUCE A MAGNETIC FLUX ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID MAGNET AND THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED PATH TO MOVE SAID ARMATURE TO BRIDGE THE ASSOCIATED AIR GAP, THE SAID PERMANENT MAGNET FLUX HOLDING SAID ARMATURE IN ITS OPERATED POSITION, THE SECOND WINDING BEING WOUND AS A COIL IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE PERMANENT MAGNET TO PRODUCE A MAGNETIC FLUX DIRECTED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE TRANSVERSE DIRECTION, THE SECOND WINDING SERVING AS A RELEASE WINDING THROUGH OPERATION OF ITS MAGNETIC FLUX IN THE TRANSVERSE DIRECTION, SAID TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FLUX ALTERNATING THE DIRECTION OF FLUX FROM SAID PERMANENT MAGNET BY CROSS-MAGNETIZATION CAUSING IT TO RELEASE SAID OPERATED ARMATURE.