New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-17

Ethan Allen. the secretary Of the Navassa PioS-
phate Company, also seen yesterday at MS ONCE
No rs Broadway, and expressed himself as 1olio"s
81 have for years been advocating the me- Ssly OF
the United states getting some footing in the West
indies | have strongly advised the purchase OF
Cuba and am strongly in favor OF having coahng
station AZ Mole st. Nicholas or SANTANA Bay. Though
,he secretary Of the Navassa Company the idea of that
island being converted into coalng station never
entered my head. l think the idea, however, Is an
excellent one. There be no trouble about getting
the necessary ground for building forts and space for
storing as much coal as tho Government may Wish TO
Keep on the island. In every way it would be a
most desirable step. The very fact Of the United
States Government taking charge Of the island would
secure its absolute protection. The Governmental
jurisdiction would put an end to the scandals that
appear 10 be rife at present. and would give the men
who are employed in digging the gusDo fair court
TO appeal their wrongs in and prevent any unjust treat
ment TO which they may be at present subjected l
can see no reason why 1t should not be made excel
lent coalng station and though OF course the island Is
IN the tropics il IS most health yone, IL is In the
line of the trades and there Is always strong wind
blowing over ii. With regard to water, there is a
plentiful supply from wells sunk into bed rock With
regard to the carrying of coal to Navassa, sure
the company would coal there at merely nominal
rate At present vessels return to the island In
ballast and In return for the protection offered us
by the Government taking the island / am sure the
would
enal should Navassa be made n naval coaling sta
tion think that it would in time become mercantile
coaling station also. At present vessels bound for
South American ports have much Of their available
hold room taken up by coal that is necessary TO be
used on the voyage, whereas halfway coaling sta
ton would be great advantage to shippers, much
larger cargoes could be sent out Of port"
That cOalng stations essentiol for any nation
that has q navy IS prima facle fact A man-Of-war
g simply unwieldy hulk when without fuel Great
Britain has recognized this fact and dotted all over
the world are weprOtected stations where in time OF
war her vessels can coal This Gordon Of cOaling
stations has all been the creation of mans per
sstency In their vital Importance For years Captain
(now Admiral ColOmb r. N, advocated the step.
As result beginning the east Of this continent
are the stations of Halifax, Bermuda jamaica st.
Kits: Gibraltar Malta. Cyprus and Alexandria in
the Mediterranean; Sierra Leone, Ascension and ST.
mons Bay on the west coast Of Africa; on
the east coast Natal, Mauritus, Zanzibar
suez Alden, Bsshre, up the Persian Gulf
the chief seaport towns OF India. then Singapore and
Hong Kong, and, the Pacific, Victoria, British
Columbia.
The United states has at present only one coallng
station outside its own continent, namely, al Page
Page. Samoan Islands.
That there should be wel-fortied cOaling station
In the West Indies becomes every day more and gre
apparent. The completion Of the Nicaragua Canal
will make the Wlndwsrd Passage Of the busiest
sea tracts in the world it is the nearest route be
tween the Old World and what will surely be the
nearest road TO Chna the East Indies and Australia
Navassa by it's position, commands this passage
The purchase money that would have 10 be paid for
the Mole st. Nicholas would go a long way toward
making the island strongly fortified position and
though of course II never be expected to carry
cut the ideas Of hrstclass coalIng station. which
should include facilities for repairing and fitting out
vessels in time Of wse IL be made strong strategic
From good authority IL is that the BAL DOnngo
rcnt will cede enough land In SANTANA Lay u
brIild a nrstclass Naval station and splendid thing
n will he as SON as station Is placed there NaVassa
however Is fn the exact line OF what must soon be one
of the chief higbrosds Of mercantile tahc us posi-
ton In the WindwaTd Passage y not unlike that OF t
leland OF Perrin, at he mouth of the Red sea- tha'
Tngland was 50 near losing many years ago.
rs conversion into az English fort Is rather an III