Sinking to a new low

Dear Sir, In today's edition of the Bulletin (page 5) I read that the Mayor of Soller wants the Ministry of Defence to give a submarine to the Port of Soller in recognition of the long history of the Naval Base and Submarine School. I am an architect and owner of an apartment overlooking the harbour, and find his statement deeply ironic. Yesterday, in Palma, I was told categorically that the landmark building on the dock is about to be demolished – destroying all trace of The Port of Soller's proud naval past. Most visitors to the area remember just three things; the perfect secluded bay with ferries plying their trade; the tiny tram clattering along the sea shore; the imposing structure on the dock with its fifteen equally spaced arches. Regardless of its age or architectural merit, it is the symbol of the Port of Soller. It should be retained and adapted to make it suitable for some future function. Few details have been released about the buildings designed to replace it. I was told that they will probably be put out to tender and this confirms my deepest misgivings. We will undoubtedly end up with a collection of low–profile sheds, without character, designed to make maximum profit for the developers. The Port of Soller is very special, loved for its history, geography and ambience – it is not just another slick, modern marina. Authorities on the island are supposed to have acquired a new sensitivity with regard to conservation in recent years. Is this just a dreadful aberration? It is not too late for a change of heart, but if it is not forthcoming, the Ministry of Defence should refuse the Mayor's request for a submarine. It would not be deserved. The “Traitor” IN most countries a person who deliberately favours immigrants before the indigenous citizens and chooses to subsidise road works in foreign lands before his own county's pensioners would surely be called a traitor. Yours, John Rule Sol de Mallorca.