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Show l u.s.s. I A treaty to continue U.S. control over the Canal is essential. I will oppose any treaty that relinquishes American Jurisdiction in Panama. We should lxi able to solve the problem without sacrificing what is legally and morally ours. costs of consumer goods. Politically, we have no assurances as to what a new treaty with Panama's dictator, Torrijos, would bring. The Panamanian government is leftist and undemocratic. This new treaty could well open the door to Panamanian political and economic blackmail of nations which use the canal. The insistence on giving up the Canal Zone reflects a United States foreign policy without self-assurance. I favor a new treaty that would increase U.S. payments to the Panamanian Government for operating rights. I also support proposals to increase in-crease Panamanian involvement in-volvement in the operation and management of the Canal. However, I oppose merely giving up U.S. rights in the Canal Zone. Nothing can be gained by with-drawing with-drawing American jurisdiction from Panama. This kind of action would not represent the will of the Congress or of the American people at large. The treaty negotiations were conducted with little support from the Congress. The proposal of a new treaty for the Panama Canal is drawing increased attention. at-tention. Proponents of the treaty strongly urge that the United States surrender its operation and control of the Canal Zone. Under the terms of the 1903 Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, the Canal Zone is under the jurisdiction jurisdic-tion of the United States. By law, the Canal Zone government is an independent in-dependent agency of the U.S. Government. There are overwhelming reasons why the U.S. should continue its involvement in Panama and not relinquish its position in Central America. Historically, it was American money, ingenuity and hard work which built the Panama Canal. Militarily, the Canal is a vital link between the two oceans and the gateway to South America. It would be unwise to give up this strategic position that we worked so hard to create. Economically, the Zone connects North and South American trade. If U. S. ships could not, for some reason, use the Canal, increased in-creased transportation costs would greatly increase the |