Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXII, Panama, 1973–1976

141. Memorandum From the Senior U.S. Treaty Adviser (Wyrough) to Ambassador at Large Bunker¹

Washington, November 4, 1976.

SUBJECT

• Congressional Views of a Treaty

Dick McCall of Senator McGee’s staff made the following points when Keith Guthrie² and I met with him this morning:

—Two key issues are critical to winning Senate acceptance of a new canal treaty: (1) convincing Senators of the need for a revised relationship, and (2) adequate Canal defense arrangements that are endorsed by the Defense Department. A treaty that would terminate by the year 2000 would probably be saleable so long as the post-2000 defense provisions had Defense’s full support. All other issues (form of the entity, compensation—including need for appropriations) are subsidiary and would probably be supported by the Senate if the two basic requirements are met.

—President-elect Carter might well find it easier to proceed on the canal question if he were presented upon taking office with a comprehensive treaty package (or at least a conceptual agreement accepted by both the U.S. and Panama).

—We should go forward with plans to organize steering groups among key staffers in both the Senate and the House in the pre-inaugural period. (We intend to do this and will start within the next week to ten days.)

Richard Wyrough³

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Ambassador Bunker’s Correspondence, Lot 78D300, Box 3, Congress. Confidential.
2. Guthrie was serving in the Office of Panamanian Affairs.
3. Wyrough initialed “RW” above this typed signature.