John Major (2)

The Isthmian Canal: A Mandate from Civilization, A Trust for Mankind
"If ever a Government could be said to have received a mandate from civilization to effect an object the accomplishment of which was demanded in the interest of mankind, the United States holds that position with regard to the interoceanic canal." These words, coming as they did from someone as indefatigable in pursuit of empire as Theodore Roosevelt was, would continually be reflected, in one way or another, in US policy and rhetoric towards the 'host' of the canal, Panama. Given the perceived strategic importance of the Panama Canal—constructed as a "trust for mankind"—to both global and US commercial and defense interests, the significance of a detailed study of US-Panamanian relations and how the canal impacted this cannot be overemphasized. Published in 1993, Major’s "Prize Possession" comes surprisingly close to providing such an overview.

Telescoped within this book are eight decades of US involvement in the canal and Panama. The book’s overarching theme is Panama's relationship with its erstwhile patron and protector, the United States. To delve into this, Major explores the following subjects: (1) the Canal Zone's system of government; (2) the Zone's labor force; (3) its commercial development; (4) US intervention in isthmian politics; and (5) the canal's place in American national security. Declaring from the outset that Panamanian archives were inaccessible to him, having approached Panama's embassy in Washington and received a rebuff that "their records were 'in the process of organization'", the author then proceeds to examine, among other topics, Panamanian politics, Panama's policies towards the Canal Zone, and the Canal's status, in US and Panamanian eyes, as a strategic and logistical asset. Despite the absence of Panamanian sources, "Prize Possession" stands up well for this lay reader, not only because of the author’s tight focus on the above-mentioned subjects, but also because of Major's lively retelling of the intra- and inter-organizational dynamics that governed the matrix of the various actors involved in the US-Panama relationship.

Major also introduces readers to several colorful characters who had been crucial in the ontology of the Canal. One character in particular, Philippe Bunau-Varilla, will be remembered for his energy in helping to drive the Canal project to completion. A French engineer in de Lessep's Panama Canal company, Bunau-Varilla, in conjunction with both the promoters of Panamanian independence and the US government, helped draft the treaty that granted the United States the use, occupation, maintenance, operation, and protection of the canal in perpetuity. It is no exaggeration to say that the Panama Canal might never have existed without Bunau-Varilla's energy in promoting the project (fueled in part by his equity interest in the French company that sponsored the initial stages of construction).

Major's writing is highly readable, even witty at times without being flippant (at one point, he describes the voluble series of memoranda of a US Army general as disappearing into the "capacious oubliette of the adjutant general's records"). Although not a definitive history of the Panama Canal due to non-reliance on isthmian archives, "Prize Possession" makes for an insightful read about a relatively fallow area involving US foreign relations. It will hold a special appeal to those interested in infrastructure development and foreign policy.… (mais)