76-19-A3
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Panama Canal II
TranscriptAdmiral Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a Senate Committee on July 22nd that it is vital to United States interests to retain complete ownership and control of the Panama Canal. He expressed the gravest concern about surrendering the Canal to a left-leaning government allied with Cuba, citing the danger of giving this advantage to a man who might permit Soviet power and influence to prevail by proxy over the Canal. He said, "The economic lifelines of the entire Western Hemisphere would be jeopardized. I have yet to see any solid justification advanced as to why the United States should willingly sacrifice the strategic advantage afforded to us by our possession of the Panama Canal." Calling attention to the 8000 miles of added travel in rounding the Horn (which takes an average of 31 days), he said, "If we were denied use of the Canal, we would have to build a much larger navy; much larger storage and harbor facilities on both east and west coasts and provide more merchant ships and escorts." On July 29th, Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. (retired) appeared before the same Senate committee. His last active duty was Commander in Chief Pacific 1968-72 during the height of the Vietnam war. Previous experience included duty with submarines based at Coco Solo in the Canal Zone prior to World War II. Admiral McCain has been a student of sea power in defense of the United States and says the Panama Canal is the strategic center for the defense of all the Americas. He called it a "crucial element of U.S. sea power in the current drive for world domination by the U.S.S.R.". He added, "to surrender one square inch of the Zone territory, as shown by experience, will only lead to future greater demands and eventual loss of the Canal itself to a small country that could not possibly stand up against the pressures of stronger powers. Soviet Russia and the communists are making every effort to gain control of the Canal." He concluded his testimony saying, "The U.S. is facing the gravest threat in its history. It has suffered successive defeats all over the world." Predicting that loss of the Canal would result in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico becoming "Red Lakes", he said, "it is time for our country to stop cowering, cringing and to act the part of a great and powerful nation with a positive and constructive program. We have nothing to be ashamed of nor need we apologize for all the foreign aid and technical assistance we have given to other nations." Admiral McCain reminded the Senators that a great student of strategy with Canal experience, General Thomas A. Lane, foresaw the present situation in 1974 when we were already negotiating without the knowledge of the American people. General Lane said, "The belief of some officials that U.S. operation and defense of the Canal under treaty provisions instead of sovereign authority would eliminate the friction of recent years is a calamitous misjudgment of the present scene. Marxist-Leninist subversion would be intensified by such a retreat. Friction would mount and the U.S. position would become intolerable. We would be compelled to use force against Panama or withdraw. That is a prospect which no President should impose on his successors." This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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