Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXIX, Panama

126. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter¹

Washington, December 20, 1977

1. Breakfast with Senators Javits and Ribicoff: I had a good breakfast this morning with Messrs. Javits and Ribicoff.

[Omitted here is information unrelated to Panama.]

I also discussed Panama with them. They are both with us all the way and are willing to be used in any fashion that we feel will be constructive. I have promised to keep in close touch with them as we move forward. Both of them stressed the importance of hitting hard on the importance of the treaties to our hemispheric relations and the economic benefits that will flow from that. I indicated to them that I and other senior administration officials planned to make a number of speeches on Panama as we move into high gear in January. I have arranged a meeting at noon today with Ham Jordan, Harold Brown and others to discuss our Panama strategy and planning.²

[Omitted here is information unrelated to Panama.]

2. Panama Strategy: Harold Brown and I met with Ham Jordan, Frank Moore and others today to review legislative and public relations strategy on Panama.³ Harold and I will be speaking in key states during the week of January 10–17,⁴ and will work with Fritz, Warren, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and others. We contemplated that you might wish to stress the importance of Panama Treaty ratification in a press conference⁵ soon after your return,⁶ include it in the State of the Union, and finally schedule a “Fireside Chat” to coincide with the beginning of the Senate debate.⁷

We now understand that Bob Byrd will not be travelling to the Middle East, but will be staying in town to prepare for the next session. Howard Baker will probably travel to Panama early in January, hopefully in preparation for announcing his support.⁸ Assuming that Byrd and Baker decide to link arms in support of the Treaties, they will undoubtedly want to meet with you soon after your return to discuss Hill strategy.

[Omitted here is information unrelated to Panama.]

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 19, Evening Reports (State), 12/77. Secret. Carter initialed the top-right of the memorandum and wrote: “Cy—Merry Christmas.”
2. No record of this meeting has been found.
3. See footnote 2 above.
4. See Document 131.
5. Carter held a question-and-answer session on the treaties by telephone from the Oval Office with participants in a town hall meeting in Mississippi on January 16. For the text of that session, see Public Papers: Carter, 1978, Book I, pp. 82–84. On January 17, Carter held another session on the treaties by telephone from the Oval Office with participants in a town hall meeting in New Mexico. For the text of that session, see Public Papers: Carter, 1978, Book I, pp. 85–87.
6. Carter visited Poland from December 29–31; Iran from December 31–January 1, 1978; India from January 1–3, 1978; Saudi Arabia from January 3–4, 1978; Egypt on January 4, 1978; France from January 4–6, 1978; and Belgium on January 6, 1978.
7. Carter wrote “will do” in the left margin. For Carter’s fireside chat, see footnote 6, Document 99. During his State of the Union address on January 19, 1978, Carter stressed that “the world is watching to see how we act on one of our most important and controversial items of business—approval of the Panama Canal treaties. For the full text of Carter’s speech, see Public Papers, Carter, 1978, Book I, pp. 98–123.
8. See Document 129.