Scope and Content Note
The papers of Frederick Dixon (circa 1868-1923) span the years 1897-1923 and consist mainly of letters to and from Dixon, memoranda, and printed material. The letters date chiefly from the period 1914-1922 when Dixon was editor of the Christian Science Monitor. They reflect the daily routine and internal affairs of the newspaper in Boston and London. Dixon's main goal in assuming the position as editor was to make the Monitor an international newspaper, and his efforts to achieve that end can be seen in the papers.
Many of the letters spanning the period 1916-1918 are between Charles D. Warner, chief of the Monitor'sWashington Bureau, and Dixon. They contain political gossip, rumors of foreign intrigue and espionage, and comments on various aspects of World War I, including such topics as America's attitude toward the use of submarines, the English blockade, the establishment of a home for Jews in Palestine, and events in Mexico. Code names were used for many of the individuals mentioned in the correspondence. In general, the letters provide insight into the thinking of some Americans regarding the war during the period of American neutrality.
The latter part of the collection contains letters concerning the controversy between the directors of the Christian Science Church and the trustees of the Christian Science Publishing Society. Copies of Mary Baker Eddy's deed of gift to the church and deed of trust to the trustees of the Christian Science Publishing Society, which was the focus of the controversy, are also included in the papers.
Correspondents include Count Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, William Jennings Bryan, Edward Mandell House, J.J. Jusserand, Robert Lansing, Henry Cabot Lodge (1850-1924), Sir Cecil Spring Rice, William H. Taft (1857-1930), Charles D. Warner, and Woodrow Wilson.