Presidential Papers, Doc#224 To Sinclair Weeks, 2 July 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
<--PREV
Doc #223		  |  Memorial Commission
Home Page		  |  Second Term
Table of Contents		  |  Presidential Papers
Home Page 		 | 
Doc#
 |  NEXT-->
Doc #225

Document #224; July 2, 1957
To Sinclair Weeks
Series: EM, AWF, DDE Diaries Series
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVIII - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part II: Civil Rights; June 1957 to September 1957
Chapter 4: "Logic and reason must operate gradually"

 

Dear Sinny: This afternoon I was visited by an old friend of mine, Albert Redpath, a lawyer of New York. He is a director of Northwest Airlines.1

He is very violently opposed, as you would guess, to the granting of any certificate to Pan American to operate on the Pacific Great Circle route to Tokyo. He opposes this even if Pan American's right to pick up passengers and mail is limited to San Francisco and points to the south.2

He gave me a number of statistics and arguments to support his view.

The purpose of this note is to ask that when the CAB acts on this case, you make the best analysis of the whole affair that you can possibly develop. I am anxious that when we have to make a decision on this situation, no matter which way it goes, we do it with all the available facts before us.3

Thanks very much.

With warm regard, As ever

1 Columbia University Trustee Albert Gordon Redpath was also an investment banker and partner in the New York City brokerage firm of Auchincloss, Parker and Redpath (see Galambos, NATO and the Campaign of 1952, no. 374).

2 In 1946 the Civil Aeronautics Board had concluded that there should be two competing U.S. flag routes across the Pacific. The CAB awarded to Pan American World Airways the route across the Central Pacific via Hawaii, while the Great Circle Route via Alaska had been given to Northwest Orient Airlines. In 1952 Pan American had applied for authority to use the Great Circle route between Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Japan. Although that petition was denied, the case was reopened in 1956 at Eisenhower's request. For background see Galambos and van Ee, The Middle Way, nos. 1080 and 1447, and the case files in WHCF/OF 62: West Coast--Hawaii. See also Marylin Bender and Selig Altschul, The Chosen Instrument (New York, 1981), pp. 408 - 9.

3 On August 2, 1957, Eisenhower would write James R. Durfee, Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board, that he had approved the Board's decision granting Pan American World Airways the right to use the Great Circle route between Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Tokyo. "It is this Administration's objective," he would say, "wherever traffic justifies it, to provide competitive United States service on all international and overseas routes from all gateways" (see Eisenhower to Durfee and additional correspondence in WHCF/CF: CAB). Despite the President’s remaining doubts about the wisdom of such action, Northwest Airlines would receive permanent certification to fly the Great Circle route between Seattle and Tokyo (see Ann Whitman memorandum, Aug. 21, 1957, AWF/AWD). For developments see no. 315.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Sinclair Weeks, 2 July 1957. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 224. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/second-term/documents/224.cfm

<--PREV
Doc #223		  |  Memorial Commission
Home Page		  |  Second Term
Table of Contents		  |  Presidential Papers
Home Page 		 | 
Doc#
 |  NEXT-->
Doc #225
 


Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission
1629 K Street, NW Suite 801
Washington DC 20006
Phone: 202.296.0004    Fax: 202.296.6464