Panama control of canal zone

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 8

Panama control of canal zone

NZPA-Reuter Balboa; With fireworks and the; pealing of church bells, Pan-1 ama has taken over the Panama Canal Zone from the United States, ending three-! quarters of a century of! United -States rule. The fireworks display; lasted more than 30min.l Cars jamming the streets' honked their horns, and church bells rang. The American flag wasi lowered from its inast in' front of the Panama Canal C o m p a n y administration building for the last time in an emotional ceremony presided over by Mr Harold Parfitt, retiring governor of' :he canal zone. Hundreds of residents,! some with tears streaming

'down their faces, watched as the flag was lowered while (the “Star-spangled Banner” sounded in the background. Some Americans in the I crowd carried posters opposling the turn-over of the (canal to Panama at the end. |of the century. Mr Parfitt said the Ameri-j 'can flag was first raised in 1 ithe zone on May 4, 1904, ■ signalling the beginning ofl {the American canal con-| Istruction effort. The canal! (was completed in 1914. The Panama Canal Com-' |pany was replaced by the Panama Canal Commission, a United States Government; 'agency that will run the. icanal until Americans! relinquish all control in the year 2000.