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January 28-Panamanian leader Oinar Torrijos said during a meeting with a Senate delegation in Panama that he would step down and turn his country over to civilian authority if the action were required for the Senate approval of the Panama Canal treaties.
 In reference to t'he treaty changes recommended by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said that lie was asking that any ,Senate additions be managed in such a way that he would not be
 obligated to take the treaties to a second plebiscite.
January 29-In Panama with a delegation of 10 visiting U.S. Senators, Senators Cranston and Stafford brief ed Panamanian treaty negotiators on the treaty changes recommended by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to the Washington Star report, the Panamanians did not object to the inclusion of the October 14 Statement of Understanding '-as an amendment, annex, or as a larification of an existing article, however, they felt that the addition of a new article would require a second plebiscite on the treaties. January 30-The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, by a 14-1
 vote., reported the Panama Canal treaties to the f ull Senate and recommended amendments to articles IV and VI -of the Neutrality Treaty which would guarantee U.S. rights to defend the canal and to priority emergency passage. The Committee decided on this format following statements by Panamanian officials to visiting Senators that a new article would alter the treaties in such a way as
 to necessitate a second plebiscite.
January 31-The Senate Armed Services Committee continued hearings on the Panama Canal Treaties. Appearing before the Committee -were: Retired Admiral Thomas HF. iNoorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Hon. William P. Clements, Jr., former Deputy Secretary of Defense; Retired General Maxwell Taylor, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Herbert J. H-ansell, State Department Legal Advisor, Lt. General Gordon Suimner, Jr., Chairman of the Inter-American Defense Board; and Retired Major General George L. Mabry, former Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Southern Command. Admiral MNoorer told the Committee that the proposed treaty amendments guaranteeing U.S. defense and pass age rights were a "sugar coated" political maneuver that failed to protect the security interests of the United States. Lt. Gen. Sumner took issue with the Carter administration's arguments that Latin American nations are united in support of the treaties, saying that Some hemisphere governments are concerned about the Torrijos Government's ability to operate the canal efficiently and that they (are aIpprehensive about a treaty provision which would permit Panama
 to raise canal rates by about 30 percent.

 FEJRUARY 1978
February 1-ITn a nationally televised "fireside chat" President Carter
 appealJed to the American viewers to support the Panama Canal Treaties. The President stated that "when the full terms of the agreemnent are kno wn, most people are convinced that the national interests of our country will be best served by ratifying the treaties." He added that ratification "will demonstrate that as a large and powerful country, we are able to deal fairly with a proud but smaller
 sovereign nation."~