PANAMA: Knives & Bases

The students had won a round. At least in its present session, Panama's National Assembly would not approve the treaty, signed last fortnight (TIME, Dec. 22), giving the U.S. 14 air bases on Panamanian territory.

The police were partly to blame. When they clubbed students (and were themselves clubbed) in breaking up an anti-bases demonstration last fortnight, they unwittingly gave the agitators a big boost. Thereafter, calm discussion of the bases deal was impossible. Politicos, their eyes on next May's presidential election, began to play it safe. Last week, after 10,000 people paraded outside the National Assembly, a special committee brought...

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