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 If these treaties, which I find to be reprehensible, poorly written, legally unsound, filled with ambiguities, filled with construction difficulties between the English and Spanish translations, are not corrected, then I have to admit 1I would not blame any citizen or the millions of citizens of this country if they hold it against us the rest of their lives.
 .The proposals should bring about some changes, which, in my opinion, are long overdue anyway, because of the last 40 or 41 years of ,control by one philosophy of the Congress, particularly in the Senate.
 I think the people of this country, and I regret to say this but I think it is true, have inherited, the vast majority of them, more knowledge about these treaties than any of my protreaty colleagues have been
-willng to admit.
 -I think in spite of the polls, which still show that most of our people are overwhelmingly against these treaties, if the truth were really known 75 to 80 percent of the people in this country will not buy these treaties.
 I think it is pretty important that we, as U.S. Senators, give every consideration to all amendments which will be proposed, especially those which tend to make these treaties more understandable, and especially those amendments which would tend to protect the Constitution.
 Concerning our colleagues in the other H-ouse of this coequal branch of Government, and especially those amendments which pertain to solving the ambiguities of the treaties, especially those amendments which pertain to clarifying the need to have all appropriations bills originate in the House, in advance, rather than bringing them back after a fait accompli has been accomplished, I think if we ignore them, as the distinguished majority leader has said he is going to do-and I assume with his leadership majority are going to follow in a partisan way-if we ignore the House of Representatives in this matter, then I cannot blame them later if they refuse to grant anything that any administration would want with regard to the problems that are bound to arise as a result of our failure to do our job legally, internationally, and otherwise to resolve the problems of these treaties.
 It is discouraging to me that there seems to be such a lack of understanding, a sense of uncertainty. There are certain protreaty Members who have made a great study of this matter, of course, of all matters involved here. Unfortunately, I do not believe that the majority of those who will vote for these treaties have really done everything they can to try to protect American interests.
 I believe this is a pretty serious matter. I consider the Panama Canal treaties one of the most important issues to come before the Congress. I think there will be few other major important issues. Of course, what we do with agriculture, energy, and labor reform, are of significance. What we do on SALT II is even more important.
 I1 believe this year is going to determine whether the United States of America continues to be the leader of the world, the leader of f reedom in the world, the country to which the other nations point toward f reedom and look up to.
 I think if these treaties have to be ratified-and I have not given in to the belief that 67 Senators in the Senate are going to vote their con-