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THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Tuesday May 10, 1977

U.S. Panama reopen talks


WASIIINGTON (AP) - The
Uttited States and Panama re-
opened Canal Zone treaty ne-
gotiations yesterday after 2'
months' recess with both sides
claiming the initial sescion rep-
resented a "positive" begin-
ning.
There was no report of move-
ment in tt1e negotintions but
the cordial atmosphere report-
ed by both nepotiati,g teams
contrasted sharply with threat-
ening talk over the weekend by
Panamanian head of government
Omar Torrijos.
Torrijos told a news confer-
ence in Mexico that unless a
new treaty is negotiated, the
Canal Zone will be "without

a canal and without gringos."
State IDepartment spokesman
Frederi::k Brown had no com-
ment yesterday on Torrijos' re-
marks.
The Carter administration be-
gan formal negotiations with
Panama within three weeks aft-
er taking office, pledging a sus-
tained effort to conclude a new
treaty. Following yesterday's in-
itial meeting here at the Pana-
manian Embassy, the U.S. co-
negotiator, Sol Linowitz, said
the two sides exchanged "sug-
gestions" and planned to cover
all remaining unresolved issues
during the current round. The
talks will resume Tuesday after-
noon.

chief negotiator, Romulo Esco-
bar Betancourt, stressed the pos-
itive atmosphere at the meet-
ing. But other officials said this
did not mean there was any
narrowing of differences.
The Carter administration
wants a draft treaty to be con-
cluded quickly to keep the canal
issue from becoming entangled
in the 1978 congressional elec-
tion campaign. The canal dis-
pute became such an issue in
the 1976 U.S. elections that the
Ford administration called off
the negotiations.
For the past 13 years, the two
countries have been trying to

come up with a formula for
giving Panama a gradually in-
creasing role in the operation
and defense of the canal and
eventually full operational con-
trol.
Among the unsettled issues is
duration of the new treaty, the
amount of land and water the
United States will need for the
canal's operation and defense
and the amount of economic
benefits Panama will derive
from the operation of the wa-
terway.
Agreement already has been
reached on granting Panama
full jurisdiction within the 500-
sqare mile zone area three years

after a new treaty is signed.
U.S. officials sense there has
been declining Senate opposition
to a new treaty. In previous
years, treaty opponents were
able to muster 38 votes for a
resolution demanding continued
undiluted U.S. control over the
canal. This is four more than
needed to defeat Senate ratifi-
cation.
But congressional sources re-
port there are now only 22 to
25 hard core treaty opponents,
with the remainder either sup-
porting the administration posi-
tion or deferring final judgment
until a draft treaty is in hand.

water, without lights, without Both Linowitz and Panama's
Freak storm brings snow
to Northeast, rain to LA.
9.. By The Associated Press mountainous areas, sent drought- er lines. Power shortaget
It would have been just fine stricken Northern Californians also reported in Dutchet
for Febfary -- snow in the running for buckets to save the ster and Sullivan countie
Northeast and a downpour in precious water and rained out The area around Grea
California. But it all took place the Los Angeles Dodgers' base- rington in the southern
tn the merry month of May. ball game - only the fifth time shires appeared to be h
The rainfall in Los Angeles that's happened since Dem hit in Massachusetts. Thm
' on Sunday added up to 15 times Bums, as they used to be known of residents were without
the average amount for the en- in Brooklyn, moved to the so- tricity. Up to two inches o
tire month. And yesterday, pub- called Sunbelt in 1958. fell in Worcester, and snos
lic works crews in the North- ed with rain pelted Boate
east pulled out the snowplows, THE DROUGHT - PARCHED
already stored away for the Northern and central California Police cut the speed lit
summer, to clear away up to areas got little more than sprink- the western portion of the
rANDMADE six inches of snow. les. San Francisco had .16 of an achusetts Turnpike to 40
SANDALS The freaky weather closed inch of rain, bringing the sea- per hour.
619 E. William schools and ripped down power son total to 9.71 inches, com- In Connecticut, 18,000 to
ust off the Di lines in Massachusetts, New pared to the 20.16 inches that residents were reported w
761-7992 York and Connecticut. In the is normal for this time of year. power near the Massach
- West, it sprinkled snow on some The sudden reappearance of
Ceti nnrirt Riv V all

s were
ss, Ul-
s.
it Bar-
Berk-
ardest
usands
t elec-
)f snow
w mix-
on.
riit on
Mass-
miles
20,000
ithout
husetts
in the
17 ca

I. 1

winter sent temperatures in
New York City to 36 degrees,
only one degree short of the
record cold of 1947. The city
also had a few moments of
snow, but the worst of the storm
settled on areas in upstate New
York and western Massachu-
setts.
In Massachusetts' Berkshire
Mountains up to a foot of snow
was recorded, and the National
Weather Service said 11 inches
fell at Slide Mountain in New
York's Catskills. In lower areas
accumulations were expected to
total three to six inches.
IN THE ALBANY area, about
6,000 persons were without elec-
tricity after the wet snow sent
tree limbs crashing across pow-

onnecticutRver vaey sad
the storm caused heavy damage
to the cloth tents, poles and
wires used to cover their crop.
Dear plastics
NEW YORK (AP) - A de-
sign firm here advertises a
cocktail table five feet by two-
and-a-half feet by 14 inches,
made of solid acrylic. The
piece weighs 357 pounds, re-
ports Modern Plastics. The
firm produced only six of the
tables, which sell for $40,000
each.
One of every four persons on
earth, or more than a billion
people, is now able to view ma-
jor events on live television via
satellite.

CIRETTE .
ILAG
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