Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That there be printed for the use of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations two thousand five hundred additional copies of each part of its hearings entitled "Panama Canal Treaties”. Attest: J. S. KIMMITT. (II) CONTENTS Statements by Wednesday, October 5, 1977-- Allen, Hon. James B., U.S. Senator from Alabama__ Corrada, Hon. Baltasar, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico and Member, U.S. House of Representatives-- Hollings, Hon. Ernest F., U.S. Senator from South Carolina. Laxalt, Hon. Paul, U.S. Senator from Nevada___. Leggett, Hon. Robert L., U.S. Representative from California_ McDonald, Hon. Larry, U.S. Representative from California_ Murphy, Hon. John M., U.S. Representative from New York- Scott, Hon. William L., U.S. Senator from Virginia--- Stratton, Hon. Samuel S., U.S. Representative from New York.... Thurmond Hon. Strom, U.S. Senator from South Carolina----- "Treaties Are Attacked in Panama, But Officials Predict Ratification," article by Alan Riding, the New York Times, September 27, 1977--- Addendum to statement by Senator Strom Thurmond_. "The Panama Canal: Sovereignty and Security, article by Hanson W. Baldwin, AEI Defense Review____ "The Panama Canal," excerpt from a report by Senator Fritz Hollings Letter to Senator Ernest F. Hollings from John M. Harmon, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, Testimony by Hon. Ronald Reagan before Subcommittee on Separation "Laxalt Testifies at Panama Canal Hearings," News release, October 197 Letter to Senator John Sparkman from Douglas J. Bennet, Jr., Assis- tant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations, dated October 5, 1977, concerning Senator Dole's proposed amendments and reser- Insertions for the record-continued "Investigation of Panama Canal Matters," supplied by Senator Scott_ Supreme Court opinion in Wilson v. Shaw, Secretary of the Treasury, Excerpts from fiscal year 1978 military procurement hearings before Senate Armed Services Committee, March 11, 1977---- Prepared statement of Hon. John M. Murphy and attachments_. Prepared statement of Hon. Robert L. Leggett and attachments--- Treaty Between the United States and Great Britain To Facilitate the Construction of a Ship Canal____ Letter to Hon. Morarji Desai, Prime Minister of India from Mrigendra Singh, Raja of Patiala, dated April 22, 1977---- Testimony of Hon. Daniel J. Flood before the Subcommittee on Inter- American Affairs, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Repre- sentatives, September 22, 1971---. "New Panama Canal Treaty Report: Fallacies Clarified and Construc- tive Program Proposed," statement by Hon. Daniel J. Flood, from the Congressional Record-House, September 9, 1976__ Text of House Resolution 92, 95th Cong., 1st sess_. Text of H.R. 1587, 95th Cong., 1st sess__ "Panama Canal Sovereignty and Modernization Memorial to the Con- gress, 1975," by Committee for Continued U.S. Control of the Canal__ "Environmentalists Oppose Panama Sea-Level Canal," by Friends of the Earth, September 6, 1977, and attached telegram to President "Panama Canal Pilots Association Urges Major Modernization as the Solution for Canal Problems," statement by Hon. Daniel J. Flood, from the Congressional Record, House, November 15, 1973, and "Panama Canal Giveaway: A Latin American's View," by Mario Lazo, "The Treaty Power and Congressional Power in Conflict: Cession of United States Property in the Canal Zone to Panama," by Kenneth Merin, legislative attorney, American Law Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress__ Statement of Senator Clifford P. Hansen_- PANAMA CANAL TREATIES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1977 UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D.C. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations met, pursuant to notice, at 9:47 a.m., in room 4221, Dirksen Senate Office Building, the Honorable John Sparkman (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senators Sparkman, Church, Pell, Clark, Biden, Sarbanes, Case, Javits, and Percy. OPENING STATEMENT The CHAIRMAN. Senator Thurmond, I don't like to keep you waiting, but I do want other members of the committee to be here. According to the list given me, we are due to have 10 members of the committee here, and I would like for as many of them as possible to hear all of your testimony. So, I hope you won't mind our waiting a little while longer. [Pause.] Let the committee come to order, please. The committee this morning is continuing its consideration of the proposed Panama Canal treaties. Today and tomorrow have been set aside for testimony from Members of Congress. To get this morning's hearing underway, we are pleased to have the senior Senator from South Carolina, our colleague and friend, Senator Strom Thurmond. Following the Senator's oral presentation, we will proceed with questions under the 10-minute rule. Senator Thurmond, that does not mean that you have to limit your answers to 10 minutes. It means that we have to limit our questions to 10 minutes. We are very glad to have you here. Other members are on their way here, we are told. We would be very glad to start with you now, if you will. Before you begin, however, I will ask Senator Percy if he has any opening remarks. Senator PERCY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. OPENING REMARKS OF SENATOR PERCY I will have to excuse myself in a few minutes to go over to the Judiciary Committee to introduce two Federal judges from Illinois. I know that Senator Thurmond will understand this as he is a member (1) of that committee. I will be right back, though. I did want to explain why I would slip out for a few minutes. I certainly welcome you very warmly this morning, Senator Thurmond. This committee is anxious to hear your views. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Thurmond, we have a copy of your prepared statement. That will be placed in the record in its entirety. You may proceed as you wish. You may read it, discuss it, or summarize it, as you wish. STATEMENT OF HON. STROM THURMOND, U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH CAROLINA Senator THURMOND. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am here this morning to present to the committee and to the American people my reasons for opposing the treaties with Panama. My interest in the Panama Canal is longstanding. Over the years I have introduced several bills to modernize the Panama Canal. In the 94th Congress, I offered a resolution signed by 38 other Senators opposing the surrender of this waterway to Panama. Last August, I visited the Canal Zone for briefings and study to ascertain any changes since my previous visit several years before. While I recognize the need for some adjustments with Panama concerning the Panama Canal, I see the retention of U.S. sovereignty as basic to continued "practical control" of the canal, which even the President himself has expressed as being necessary. My 1976 resolution was more than sufficient warning to both the Ford and Carter administrations relative to the Senate's concern in this matter and to alert the Government of Panama that the treaties would be scrutinized closely. Yet, the treaties have been signed with great fanfare, and the threats from Panama strongly suggest either we ratify or pay the consequences of violence and disruption in the Canal Zone. In fact, Panamanian Chief Negotiator Escobar Bethancourt went so far as to say, "This country"-Panama-"would take a course of violence" if the treaties are not ratified. At no time in my memory have such threats and pressure been exerted on the Senate as is the case with these treaties. In making our decision, however, we must rationally decide what is in the best interest of our Nation, irrespective of the pressures and threats directed toward us. IMPORTANCE OF CANAL I disagree completely with Ambassador Linowitz's statement to this committee last week that the canal has become "economically obsolescent." This statement is designed to denigrate the importance of the canal and thus make the proposed treaties more palatable. The canal is one of a very few vital world waterways. It permits rapid two-ocean commerce very beneficial to our Nation. In 1975, about 14.000 ships transited the canal. Approximately 70 percent of the traffic originated in the United States or was bound for the United States. It is estimated that 45 percent of Alaskan oil will be shipped through the canal by 1980. |
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