The Daily Alaska empire., 1948-02-03
The Panama Canal
(New York Times


 Within twenty-four hours after the National As semby of Panama had repudiated a signed agree men leasing to the United States fourteen bases for the defense of the Panama Canal all American troops stationed these bases had received orders to evacuate them immediately and to withdraw to the Panama Canal Zone. which remains in United States hands The agreement signed by the Panamanian Government Dec 10, in keeping with both the recent Inter American Defense Treaty and the specific United Panamanan Treaty of Friendship of 1886 These agreements provided for the obligation of mutual assistance and common defense of the American republics" general, and for the joint protection of the Panama Canal, the lifeline of all interAmercan defense arrangements, in particular But Panama is sovereign state. And since it's National Assembly found fit to repudiate the signature of it's Govern ment. which is it's constitutional privilege there was nothing for the United States to do but to bow to Panamas sovereign will
 In doing so, the United States acted in accord ance with one of the first principles of both inter national and its own foreign policy. That principle is that irrespective of any differences of opinion re- gardng interpretation of agreements no country has the right to keep troops on the territory of another without the express will and consent of that countrys legitimate Government That principle has been stead fastly proclaimed by the United States in af fecting other countries and now the United States has demonstrated that it lives to what it breaches
 But that demonstration solves neither the prob lem of United Panamanaian relations nor the adequate and canal facilities across the Central American sthmus No doubt there a number  of factors which contributed to the Panamanan action including an impending national election and the tra- ditional political propaganda against the Colossus of the North" which the Communists were able to utilize for their own purposes and whip to fever heat But if the British Empire found it compatible with both it's sovereignty and it's dignity to lease bases to the United States in the interest of defense it is difficult to how the present agreement could have affronted either the sovereignty dignity of Panama It is therefore to be hoped that after the present waves of excitement have abated second thoughts will prevail in Panama, and that some kinu of agree ment will be reached after all
 At the same Panamanian acton mas also called sharp attention to the inadequacy of the Panama Canal itself. As it stands now it's security can always be imperied by purely local situation Moreover it's locks are highly vulnerable to air at tack in any case and it has become too narro" TOT our modern warshps And that lends added import ance to the long standing proposal for bigger ana better sea level canal Nicaragua The united States had planned to spend two and half billion dollars on improving the present channel It might be better to spend that money on new seaWay whch would not only more double the present facilities but would also immeasurably increase then security