1.   The British replied that such a board must operate the canal, otherwise Egypt would be able to use the waterway as an instrument of national policy.

2.   Annual payments to the Panamanian government will be held for a year, to ensure that enough resources are available to maintain and operate the canal.

3.   Even the Thruway Authority, which operates the canal, conceded that getting boats through sometimes meant removing cargo, or using dams to raise the water level.

4.   Immediately afterward, Panama signed a treaty authorizing the United States to build and operate a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific.

5.   The New York State Thruway Authority, which operates the canal, reinstated tolls when the canal reopened in May after being closed for the winter.

6.   Bacon said U.S. officials are consulting with the Egyptian government, which owns and operates the canal, on security arrangements.