Show STATIONS ON ISLAND OF CUBA president roosevelt signs an agreement that means the control of a great naval base Washington Feb 24 president valt has signed the agreement drawn under the terms of the platt amendment providing for a naval station at guantanamo and a coaling station at bahia alonda both in cuba the document had been previously signed by president palma and was brought to washington by minister Squi eres it does not specify the price of the property to be acquired by the united states and this detail is left to be settled by the usual legal condemnatory proceedings t after the navy department has decided exactly the amount of land it wishes at each station with these two places properly fortified as naval bases the gulf of mexico would not be possible pbs sible of occupation by a hostile fleet and alic caribbean sea would be unsafe for an enemy at roo there will be erected extensive coal docks and perhaps a short line of railroad to connect the port with the backbone railroad already finished by private enterprise bania honda will for some time probably be used simply as a place for the storage of coal when minister Squi cres returns to havana he will take up for settlement the question of the possession of the isle of pines the indications are now that the united states government will not press strongly in this matter diio reason for the indifference is first the unavailability of the island as a naval base owing to the shallow water surrounding it and second the really strong sentimental attachment of tho cubans for the place which would cause a feeling of resentment toward the uni states in the event that the islo was taken away |