The source below is a letter from John O. Marsh intended for the President of the United States Gerald Ford. Marsh is the National Security Advisor and one of the top advisors in the Ford cabinet. In this letter, Marsh is advising the president on who he thinks the new governor of the canal zone should be. The old governor, Major General David Parker’s term is up the next year and so the U.S. government is looking for a replacement. The main thing that Marsh is advocating for is a military member to take over as governor of the canal zone. This comes at a time where a lot of people are hoping that a civilian might be nominated as it shows a more peaceful image. Marsh argues that changing from the status quo of military governors would hurt the U.S. and that while these changes could happen, now is not the best time. He goes into a list of reasons including expertise, availability, and responsiveness.
This source provides a rich point of view from the United States presidential cabinet and their opinions of Panama. While they are not directly negotiating with Panama, they are discussing who they want in a critical position as it relates to their relations. The governor of the canal zone is an important figure who along with the ambassador, are on the front lines of political discourse with the Panamanian government. This shows that the U.S. does not feel confident with their relationship and still finds in necessary to have military leadership in Panama. Instead of a political representative, they choose a pseudo marshal law type figure which indicates a lack of confidence. This also sends a bad message to Panama who continues to have U.S. military in charge of territory within their country. It is just another factor in a relationship that is headed towards disaster.
Primary Source:
Full Document:
John Marsh. “Memo for the President” National Archives Catalog (1974)