Show I 1 Who owns the Panama Canal It seem possible but in a a recent opinion survey sponsored by the American Council for World Freedom in Washington 44 percent of the people questioned conf confessed that they didn't know who owns the Panama Canal Another 21 percent guessed wrong Only 35 percent of those polled gave the correct answer The United States of America owns the Panama Canal We cant can't believe that the readers of this newspaper are equally uninformed uninformed uninformed formed but just to make sure let us review a few facts The Panama Canal was built and paid for by the United States on land purchased from the country of Panama in 1903 We paid 10 million for the 52 miles long five miles wide strip of land which is called the Canal Zone In addition we have paid Panama a yearly amount which began at a year and now stands at about annual payment Since acquiring the Zone the taxpayers of the United States have poured over five and one-half one billion dollars into the construction operation and maintenance maintenance maintenance main main- of the Panama Canal About people are employed to operate and maintain the Canal two- two thirds of them being native Panamanians Over million tons of cargo are transported on nearly ships through the Canal each year and 70 percent of that tonnage originates in inor inor inor or is destined for American ports The Canal has been of tremendous value to the economic welfare of the people of Panama More than 40 percent of Panamas Panama's foreign exchange earnings and nearly third one-third of its gross national product are directly or indirectly indirectly indirectly in in- directly attributable to the presence of the owned American-owned and supervised Canal Extreme wingers left-wingers in and out of government have been agitating for the United States to give the Canal Zone back to Panama which would be somewhat akin to suggesting that we give Alaska back to Russia and the Louisiana Purchase back to France Since World War II there have been 13 changes of government in Panama five of them violent and the present government is headed by a military dictator with strong Socialist Marxist-Socialist leanings Under these circumstances is it your opinion that we should give back the Panama Canal to Panama If it isn't then you would be wise to so advise President Ford and your representatives representatives representatives in Washington because unbelievable unbelievable unbelievable un un- believable as it may seem that is exactly what certain elements in the U.S. U.S. U.S. U. U S. S State Department are planning to do |