President Eisenhower got caught in the propwash of an airline battle last week. As a result, he came within an ace of knocking Northwest Airlines off one of its most prized routes. The dogfight was between Northwest and Pan American World Airways over which should fly the Pacific between Seattle-Portland and Hawaii, a profitable run that both have been operating on a temporary basis since 1948. The Civil Aeronautics Board finally reached a unanimous decision: Northwest should have the route alone. But when the CAB recommendation went to the White House a fortnight ago, it ran into opposition.
Commerce Secretary...