Vice President George Bush, during a campaign stop here, said the United States should do ``whatever is necessary, including military force'' to protect American interests in Panama. Bush stopped short of calling for military intervention in Panama in the wake of the ouster of President Eric Arturo Delvalle, saying that the United States' past history of intervention in Latin American affairs is ``what's hurting us in some areas now.'' He told the South Carolina Press Association: ``We will do whatever is necessary to protect American interests in Panama. We've got treaty interests on the (Panama) canal. I don't want to rattle any sabers. ... ``But we would obviously as the United States, and I would, reserve the right to do whatever is necessary, including military force, to protect America's sacred interest in that region of the world.'' The vice president, given a strong South Carolina lead in a poll published today, was heading for Atlanta after a day of campaigning Thursday in South Carolina, whose Republican presidential primary is Saturday, March 5. A poll by The Charlotte Observer indicated Bush was the favorite in the state's GOP contest, with the support of 41 percent of those likely to vote in the primary. Sen. Bob Dole trailed with 29 percent; former television evangelist Pat Robertson had 13 percent; and Rep. Jack Kemp had 4 percent. Twelve percent were undecided. On Thursday, Bush seemed to be confidently raising the stakes as he declared, ``South Carolina is going to stand alone as the forerunner of who is going to be president, in my view.'' Bush traveled by motorcade through the state's northwestern corner, stopping at colleges, technical schools, a high school, popular restaurants and a sidewalk crowd in nearby Greenwood. At one of his first stops, Bush addressed head-on the issue of the region's major textile industry and the calls by its leaders for limits on foreign imports. Textile leaders contend the industry has been damaged by cheap imports and they want legislation imposing limits on foreign products brought into the United States. Bush referred to that as a ``pure, all-out'' protectionist policy that may cost three other jobs while saving one. He said existing trade laws are adequate if enforced. ``That's not the answer,'' Bush said. ``The answer is, we can compete if the playing field is level. I will enforce the laws. I will guarantee you that there is every effort made towards fair trade.'' A day earlier rival Bob Dole campaigned in the state and pledged to support the legislation in the Senate _ similar to legislation that President Reagan vetoed over textile-state objections two years ago. Bush argued that South Carolina's economy has been growing and pointed to figures he said show 62,000 new jobs were created in the state last year, including 2,700 in textiles. He contended currency differences with Japan are improving and that manufacturing and agricultural imports have climbed recently. ``We're seeing improvement out there,'' he said. Bush cited evidence of economic improvement at most every stop but didn't repeat his opposition to the textile import limits until asked. ``There have got to be some changes before I'd be for it,'' he said. Bush rode in his armored limo for most of the day but spent one leg of the trip on a bus with about 40 active supporters from the area. He said that Dole's endorsement by Sen. Strom Thurmond ``makes the stakes higher for Dole'' in South Carolina. Thurmond, however, didn't provide enough help to make a difference for his GOP primary favorite eight years ago _ Texan John Connally. Bush was accompanied by South Carolina Gov. Carroll A. Campbell Jr., his state chairman, and national campaign manager Lee Atwater, a native South Carolinian. Atwater attached much significance to the state's primary even while arguing Bush could withstand a loss here. He said that if Robertson fails to beat Bush in South Carolina he won't win a single state. And Atwater said if Dole finishes third in South Carolina, ``I think he's going to lose every single state on Super Tuesday'' when 20 states including all the rest of the South hold primaries. The Observer's poll, conducted by the newspaper's market research division, surveyed 687 registered voters who indicated they were likely to participate in the primary. The margin of error is 4 percentage points, the newspaper said.
