There is little doubt in my mind that the Panamanian managers at the Panama Canal will be able to run the Canal with the same efficiency and safety as it is currently being operated under the stewardship of the United States. That should be no surprise since some 93 percent of all Canal employees are already Panamanian. What gives me and world shipping interests the greatest cause for concern is whether the Government of Panama will leave those managers alone after the Treaty-mandated transfer of the Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999.

Beyond the current apprehension about using Canal tolls for social purposes in Panama ­ even though the surpluses have already been earmarked for maintenance and operational improvements ­ there is the nagging question about the will of elected officials to live up to the "hands off" policy being proclaimed.

The track record of Panamanian intrigue with regard to its ports and reverted properties is not particularly flattering. Properties, already transferred by the United States to Panama, show varying levels of decline. Some structures are jungle vine infested while others are boarded up to prevent both human and jungle looters. Has Panama bitten off more than it can absorb?

Two ports, one at each end of the Canal, provide another interesting, if not alarming, look at how things operate in Panama. When the ports were first transferred in the late 70s, maintenance was totally neglected with the resultant decay of those facilities. Now, with a privatization program under way, two strategically placed ports have been transferred to a Chinese company in a procedure called "highly unorthodox" by United States Ambassador to Panama, William Hughes. U.S. companies, interested in operating the ports, were left out by Panamanian government officials. What makes this case even more alarming is that the deal was made at the very same time the Peoples Republic of China was trying to prevent maritime companies and even nations from participating in a conference on the future of the Canal ­ a conference organized by the government of Panama!

While the United States Congress wrestles with issues of China stealing missile guidance systems, nuclear and radar secrets, the Chinese have outmaneuvered us in Panama. And even the threat of Colombian guerrillas operating on the border between Panama and Colombia does not seem to phase the Panamanian Government. With our bases closing in Panama over the next few months and against the will of about 80 percent of the Panamanians, Washington does not even have Panama on the radar scope. It is the end of an era, and it has not been handled well at all. I wonder how Teddy Roosevelt would feel?