Frederick Dixon to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Frederick Dixon to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Dixon, Frederick, d. 1923
Identifier
WWP25395
Date
1918 November 4
Description
Head of Christian Science Monitor writes to President Wilson about his plans for a trip to Europe.
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Christian Science monitor
American newspapers
World War, 1914-1918--United States
Contributor
Danna Faulds
Relation
WWP25396
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
Woodrow Wilson Esq.,
President of the United States,
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Wilson:-
I have carefully thought over my conversation with you the other day, and have deliberately come to the conclusion that the way to accomplish the end is a two-fold one. First, a campaign of education editorially in the Monitor, and second, a visit to the other side. The campaign I will initiate here immediately we know the result of the armistice proposals. I think for reasons which I need not go into, it is better to wait until then. I can conduct it from this side or the other equally easily, as editorials are not a matter to depend on minutes for their publication. In any case I can get it under way here before it will be worth my while to cross.
I believe that both of these methods can have a great effect, and I am only too glad to be able to help you in the way you indicated.
Now there are one or two things that I want you to do for me if you will, so as to help me in these rather difficult days. One thing is that I want to take my secretary, who is an American and of draft age, with me. He is the only man I shall have over there whom I can trust implicitly, and whom I should not be afraid of leaking in any way. And nobody will understand better than you how desirable it is that what I hope to do should not leak out in any way. His name is Henry Newmark, and his address is The Braemore, Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. In any case, I shall apply for his release from the draft as essential to an essential industry. This brings me to the other point, and that is the question of the men essential to the paper. With me in England it is more than ever essential that the reliable men should be at my disposal here, and not picked up for the draft. Beside I imagine that the days of fighting are really over, and that Germany will give in long before any of the present draft could be trained and taken across. That, however, has, of course, nothing to do with it. Although General Crowder has ruled that newspapers are essential industries, there is a curious sort of set here against them or at all events against the Monitor. The idea of the boards seems to be to make us as ineffectual as possible by the withdrawal of our men, an act which is entirely against the spirit and letter of General Crowder’s rulings, for which they profess a supreme contempt.
When Mr. Warner applied for assistance in Washington, he was told that if I would forward a list of the indispensable men to you direct, you would help us in the matter. I am therefore enclosing such a list to you, and have not included a single man who can be spared, no matter with how much difficulty, from the paper.
Will you do one other thing to help me? Will you let somebody unobtrusively warn the people here who grant the permits for the departure of aliens to let me and my wife pass, without undue inquiry. My experience is that all sorts of questions are put very often which make it a little difficult to explain one’s reasons for departure, and, of course, a word from anybody in your office will put this right. The Embassy in Washington have promised to make the shipping question all right for both of us, and of course there is no real difficulty about the permits, only I would like the wheels oiled a little. This should include Mr. Newmark.
I shall put in my application for a permit to depart in a few days, just leaving time for you to help me, if you can and will. I shall then of course have to wait for a boat, but that will be all right as I would like to initiate the other campaign in the meantime. As soon as I get to the other side I will get in touch with Colonel House. And then I shall have to trust to my own discretion and judgment.
Yours very sincerely,
Frederick Dixon
President of the United States,
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Wilson:-
I have carefully thought over my conversation with you the other day, and have deliberately come to the conclusion that the way to accomplish the end is a two-fold one. First, a campaign of education editorially in the Monitor, and second, a visit to the other side. The campaign I will initiate here immediately we know the result of the armistice proposals. I think for reasons which I need not go into, it is better to wait until then. I can conduct it from this side or the other equally easily, as editorials are not a matter to depend on minutes for their publication. In any case I can get it under way here before it will be worth my while to cross.
I believe that both of these methods can have a great effect, and I am only too glad to be able to help you in the way you indicated.
Now there are one or two things that I want you to do for me if you will, so as to help me in these rather difficult days. One thing is that I want to take my secretary, who is an American and of draft age, with me. He is the only man I shall have over there whom I can trust implicitly, and whom I should not be afraid of leaking in any way. And nobody will understand better than you how desirable it is that what I hope to do should not leak out in any way. His name is Henry Newmark, and his address is The Braemore, Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. In any case, I shall apply for his release from the draft as essential to an essential industry. This brings me to the other point, and that is the question of the men essential to the paper. With me in England it is more than ever essential that the reliable men should be at my disposal here, and not picked up for the draft. Beside I imagine that the days of fighting are really over, and that Germany will give in long before any of the present draft could be trained and taken across. That, however, has, of course, nothing to do with it. Although General Crowder has ruled that newspapers are essential industries, there is a curious sort of set here against them or at all events against the Monitor. The idea of the boards seems to be to make us as ineffectual as possible by the withdrawal of our men, an act which is entirely against the spirit and letter of General Crowder’s rulings, for which they profess a supreme contempt.
When Mr. Warner applied for assistance in Washington, he was told that if I would forward a list of the indispensable men to you direct, you would help us in the matter. I am therefore enclosing such a list to you, and have not included a single man who can be spared, no matter with how much difficulty, from the paper.
Will you do one other thing to help me? Will you let somebody unobtrusively warn the people here who grant the permits for the departure of aliens to let me and my wife pass, without undue inquiry. My experience is that all sorts of questions are put very often which make it a little difficult to explain one’s reasons for departure, and, of course, a word from anybody in your office will put this right. The Embassy in Washington have promised to make the shipping question all right for both of us, and of course there is no real difficulty about the permits, only I would like the wheels oiled a little. This should include Mr. Newmark.
I shall put in my application for a permit to depart in a few days, just leaving time for you to help me, if you can and will. I shall then of course have to wait for a boat, but that will be all right as I would like to initiate the other campaign in the meantime. As soon as I get to the other side I will get in touch with Colonel House. And then I shall have to trust to my own discretion and judgment.
Yours very sincerely,
Frederick Dixon
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Collection
Citation
Dixon, Frederick, d. 1923, “Frederick Dixon to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 November 4, WWP25395, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.