88. Letter From Senator Hubert H. Humphrey and Senator Gale W. McGee to President Ford1

Dear Mr. President:

We write with deep personal concern over the progress of negotiations with the Government of the Republic of Panama for a new Panama Canal Treaty.

Quite frankly, we are troubled by the failure of the Executive Branch to resolve differences between the Department of State and Department of Defense over fundamental negotiating positions, particularly in regards to the duration of the new treaty and the land and water issues. It is well known that the Department of Defense has yet to develop realistic positions on these issues.

We realize the differences within the Executive Branch are properly questions for you to resolve. However, in this case, the very obvious conflict between two key Executive departments has caused serious difficulties in efforts within the Congress to support the general position of your Administration for the negotiation of not only an equitable treaty between our two governments, but one which will also protect U.S. short- and long-term interests as they relate to the operation of the Canal. In essence, unless such a treaty is negotiated and ratified in the coming months, we believe these interests will be placed in serious jeopardy.

We understand that in the coming days you will be making a decision as to what the ultimate U.S. position will be on the two matters mentioned above as well as on the strategy for Senate ratification. We cannot impress upon you enough the importance of both making a decision soon on these critical issues and ending the divisive and harmful bureaucratic maneuvering which has already had a detrimental effect on Congressional attitudes toward the treaty, as evidenced by the recent vote in the House on the Snyder amendment.

We do not believe that the prospects for ratification are lost. It would, however, be unfortunate if any department within the Executive Branch undercut our treaty efforts with Panama. As Members of the Foreign Relations Committee, we stand ready to do whatever we can, in cooperation with you, to insure that ratification proceeds in a timely fashion. However, in the absence of a final decision by you, particularly [Page 239] in establishing a unified position on the treaty within the Executive Branch, we believe our efforts will be fruitless.

Again, we stand ready to assist you in this vital matter and would appreciate meeting with you or your representatives if you should so desire.2

Sincerely,

Hubert H. Humphrey
Gale W. McGee
  1. Source: Ford Library, White House Central Files, Subject Files, Box 13, 3–1/Panama Canal 8/1/75–8/31/75. No classification marking. Both Senators were on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  2. In August 23 letters to both Humphrey and McGee, Ford promised to “give our careful attention to the continuing effort to negotiate a satisfactory agreement.”(Ibid.)