Show NAVAL AND N COALING STATIONS i United as Secured Guantanamo and Bahia Honda on the 1 Coast of Cuba Under the Terms of the i Platt Amendment Amen ment mentI I ASHING ON Feb eb 24 President WASHINGTON w VI Roosevelt has signed the agree agreement agreement ment meat drawn up under the terms of the Platt amendment providing for forthe forthe forthe the acquisition by the United Unit d States of ofa ofa ofa a naval station at Guantanamo and a coaling station at Bahia Honda Eonda both in Cuba The document had been pre previously prevIously previously signed by President Palma and und was brought to ts Washington by b Minister It does not specify the price J I of o the properties to be acquired by the I United States and this tb detail det Is left to tobe tobe tobe I I be settled by the usual legal condemnatory condemnatory condemnatory tory proceedings after the navy depart department department department ment has decided exactly the amount of ot land It wishes wisher at each place With these two places properly forti tortI fortified fied fled as naval bases the Gulf of Mexico would not be possible of occupation of ofa ofa ofa a hostile fleet and the th Caribbean sea would be an enemy At Guantanamo GUint namo erected ir ex docks and nd perhaps u p shout line railroad to connect conn t the port with the backbone railroad already fin fj shed by private enterprise Bahia Honda will for some time probably be used simply as a place for forth the storage of f coal When Minister returns to Havana he will take up for settlement the question of the possession of the Isle of Pines The indications are now nov that the United States government will not press strongly in this matter The reason for the indifference is first the unavailability of the Island as a naval base owing to the shallow water sur surrounding surrounding rounding it and second the really strong sentimental attachment ent of the 1 Cubans for the place which would t cause a feeling of resentment toward the United States in the event that the I Isle was taken away It is learned that the document Is la lanot not a treaty but is rather in the nature I of an agreement under the terms of the Platt amendment Therefore it will not be necessary to submit i it to the senate President Palma 11 deems it expedient to submit the Agree Agreement l ee meat ment u ent to the Cuban senate but from the nature nat re of If the report rep rt made by Secretary Hay there seems tor te be bt Urn f such approval is already assured In fact it Is said that had the he United States so desired it might have included ed the splendid bay of Nipe on the northeast in Its list of accessions as coaling stations |