Panama Canal Treaties Remarks on Senate Ratification of the Neutrality Treaty.

I have a brief statement to make.
The people of our Nation owe a debt of thanks to the Members of the United States Senate for their courageous action taken today in voting for the Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty.

I add my sincere personal congratulations to the entire Senate, and especially to the three men who have led their colleagues with bipartisan statesmanship and wisdom through this long debate—Senator Robert Byrd, the majority leader, Senator Howard Baker, the minority leader, and Senator John Sparkman, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

As a nation, we also owe our gratitude and admiration to former President Ford and to Democratic and Republican leaders who have served in previous administrations who, by giving the treaties their support, gave us the opportunity to judge the treaties on their merits and not on a partisan, political basis.

This vote today is, of course, only the first step in the process of ratification, but I am confident that the Senate will show the same courage and foresight when it considers the second treaty. This is a promising step toward a new era in our relationships with Panama and with all of Latin America.
General Torrijos and the Panamanian people have been patient and forbearing during the negotiations and during the Senate debate. They've earned the confidence and respect of the American people. Their actions during the last few months is proof of their willingness to form a partnership with us, to join in cooperation rather than confrontation.
It's been more than 14 years since negotiations began with Panama, and we've been through many months of discussion and debate about the two treaties that the Senate has considered. This has been a long debate, but all of us have learned from it.

The basic purpose and the underlying principles of the treaty have been affirmed and strengthened by the actions of the Senate. Under the treaty as approved, the United States and Panama will have joint responsibility to assure that the canal after the year 2000 will remain neutral and secure, open and accessible.

The United States can take whatever actions are necessary to make sure the canal remains open and safe. The vessel of war and auxiliary vessels of the United States and Panama are assured of transit through the canal as quickly as possible and can go to the head of the line in time of emergency or need.

While the right of the United States and Panama to act against any threat t the regime of neutrality is assured by this treaty, it does not mean that there is right of intervention, nor do we want right of intervention by the United States in the internal affairs of Panama.

But perhaps the most encouraging lesson of all in these last long months is that in a full and open debate, even in a very controversial and difficult issue, in our foreign policy objectives, we can still reach the decisions that are in our Nation's long-term, best interests.

I congratulate again the Senators for their decision and give them, on behalf of the Nation, my sincere thanks.