European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 19, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 12 the stars and stripes William f. Buckley monday september 19, 1977 Btry other Jimmy Mas Biem losm6 Panama not Torrijos will get the canal two objections to the Panama treaty unrelated have recently been voiced the first by sen. Scoop Jackson whose postilion in the matter will carry considerable weight and properly so in the Light of his ongoing concern for the Mili tary Security of the country. Under the terms of the treaty we guar Antee Access to the canal to every nation so sceptics have come up with the follow ing scenario on which i recently touched in this space suppose we go to War with the soviet Union would we be obliged columns comments under the Reaty to permit soviet ships to come through the canal the better to Tor ment us0 concerning this Point two observations. The first is the treaties that get in the Way of parties at War with each other tend to fall apart with the single exception of those conventions whose continued survival clearly benefits both parties equally. Thus during the second world War nobody used Mustard Gas because if one Side had so would the other Side. On the other hand the broken treaties would have littered the floor of Madison Square Garden. In War Victory and survival Are the supreme considerations and always will be. Besides which it would appear Plain to anyone who went no further in the Pursuit of military strategy than to play with toy soldiers that if for whatever reason one wanted to stand by the formal language of the treaty and permit a soviet ship Safe passage through the canal All the . Navy would have to do is sink the ship one mile before it reached the canal or sink it one mile after it passes through the canal. The objection in a word is not serious. More so at a psychological level is the Campaign against general Torrijos. Charges against Torrijos Are difficult to exaggerate. He is a tyrant a relentless persecutor of the opposition. But i happen to doubt the notion that he is the instrument of the soviet Union while not doubt ing that he would play the soviet s game in a number of circumstances. Still the critics of the Panama treaty pursue the Point Why should we give anything at All to such a Man and the answer is that we re not giving it to him we Are giving what we do not need to the panamanian people. How do the Panama Nian people figure in any transaction be tween the . And Torrijos a Good question requiring that we use our native political intelligence and ask is it logical that the panamanians feel strongly about the canal zone. Again the answer suggests itself unequivocally. Yes it is very logical that they should do so. And indeed a Gen eral plebiscite is a part of the arrange ments. The single postwar identifiable univer Sal passion is nationalism. The fact of the matter is that the panamanian people have been ruled Over by a succession of Caudil Loes since they began their precario the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government. Ous March into nationhood at the beginning of this Century. Torrijos May last another 20 years he May be overthrown in 20 months. Either Way the panamanians will eventually be Able to drive or bicycle about their country without running into an Iron Belt governed by a foreign Power and dividing their country geographically into two divisions. That is a genuine Satis fac it is necessary to squat Down in tither people s countries. We do this in Cuba in Guantanamo Bay and there we should continue to sit for Ages hence unless great changes take place in naval logistics. But in Panama the military argument simply does not support the logic in the canal zone and the fact that the poor panamanians Are saddled by a military dicta Tor imposed upon them by their own political Mal adroitness does not add up to an argument for free americans imposing upon the panamanians an unnecessary Corset the Only consequence of which is a constant itch reminding them that they do not govern or even mis govern the whole of their country. It is no More relevant to argue that Tor Rijos is an undemocratic bad governor than it would be relevant to conclude that we should invite Pericles Here to serve As budget director on the grounds that Bert Lance is unsatisfactory. President Carter undertook a consider Able act of theater when he brought up the chiefs of state of All latin America. He probably overdid it. Still Carter believes the treaty is the right thing to do and is giving it his Best. I agree with him. C Washington Star Anthony Lewis Biko death deepens sense of pain and Hope that reason can prevail How can a people As gifted As courageous As profound in their emotions As the Whites of South Africa have made them selves stand in the world for deafness for inhumanity the question torments sym pathetic visitors to that wonderful terrible country. It Clouds the Hope that reason can avoid racial catastrophe. The sense of bewilderment about South Africa of pain and hopelessness is deep ened by the news just in hand the death of one of the country s most respected Black leaders while he was in the hands of the police. Steven Biko was just 30 years old a tall Strong magnetic figure who had the special Confidence of the increasingly angry students and other Young Blacks. Sen. Dick Clark of Iowa who met Steve Biko in South Africa last december was struck by him. He was a very Calm intelligent moderate sort of person someone that you Felt could have brought the sides together. He was balanced reasonable. He had the support of the Young Blacks and i think he could have gained the respect of the White the White Power Structure that com mands the politics of South Africa had Given Steve Biko a Chance perhaps he could have brought people to reason to Gether. But it is an if that mocks reality for this underlines a fundamental fact of South african political life the refusal by those in charge even to talk with leaders of the Black majority. The Only interracial talks of Conse Quence have been Between prime minister Vorster and the leaders of the Black homelands the Small impoverished areas to which the official myth says All Blacks belong. Even those meetings have been largely a dialogue of the deaf. Otherwise the response of the govern ment to the Rise of any Black Leader has been to Cut him Down. Union officials Stu Dent spokesmen political organizers none has been allowed to remain in a Posi Tion of leadership. As they have emerged Over the last generation one after another has been imprisoned banned silenced. Nelson Mandela is a prisoner on Robben Island. Robert up Buwe is restricted to the Small town of Kimberley the press forbid Den to mention his name foreigners who manage to see him find a Man of unbelievable restraint and dignity whose political talents might go far toward Healing South Africa if he were not forbidden to use them. Steve Biko is dead. The death says something else about the White politicians who Rule South Africa. They Are not Only unwilling to communicate with the majority of the people whose conditions of life they determine. They Are insensitive to the Barest humanity of those people. In the last 18 months 19 africans have died while being held by the police under the Laws allowing the authorities to detain anyone without trial on the vaguest of grounds. A common official explanation has been that the prisoner fell Down the stairs or was found hanging in his february the Justice minister James t. Kruger suggested that some of the detainees have followed communist party orders to commit suicide rather than betray their cause under questioning. He said it is reasonable to assume that Mostof the suicides Are by hard Core marxists who Are taking their own lives rather than the overwhelming reasons to believe that prisoners have been beaten to death or otherwise killed by the police have been blandly rejected by officials. The message they convey in their extreme insensitivity to the lives of these detainees is unmistakable we do not think Blacks Are human beings like us we owe them no explanation. Steve Biko died after refusing food and water for seven Days to protest his detention without trial. The night before his death he was flown 800 Miles from a prison in port Elizabeth to a Hospital in Pretoria. A statement by Justice minister Kruger said that on the seventh Day of his fast Doc tors found that he appeared to be those who knew Steve Biko will find it hard to believe that a husky 30-year old Man died As a result of a week s hunger Africa s White leaders understandably resent the world s Are entitled to sympathy when they argue that they Are trying to preserve place for their tribe too. But when they argue that they will provide dignity for Blacks within their system they Are mocked by the death of Steve he saw sen. Clark last year Biko said that his movement sought a and had deliberately chosen to operate in the open because we have believed for a very Long time that through the process of organized bargaining we can penetrate even the Dearest of White but they Are still not willing to listen. C new York times
