The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-08-23
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
WRITER CHALLENGES
BOSTON NEWS ITEM

Some time ago, this paper received
from a press agency and printed an
article dated from Boston and head
ed dodge Report in Christian Sci
enc Litigation Filed" which purport-
ed to be an account of the report filed
by the master in the suit brought by
John V. Dittemore to contest his
dismissal from the Board of Directors
of The First Church Of Christ, Sci
enlist, in Boston, Massachusetts. Now
the Committee on Publication of this
Church has issued a statement chal-
lenging the account in question as
being extremely unfair. The state
ment of this writer follows.
'The account in question was most
unfair in that, while purporting to
quote or state the masters findings
from the evidence as to why the ma
jority of The Christian Science Board
of Directors voted to dismiss Mr.. Dit
temore from this Board, it neither
quoted nor stated the masters main
finding on this subject. The follow
ing words are exactly quoted from the
masters report L find that the con-
trolling motive which induced its
adoption by the defendants who voted
for it was the desire OF their part to
remove the obstacle presented by the
plaintiffs presence on the Board to
their attempts to arrange a compro-
mise with the Trustees though they
acted the more readily under said
controlling motive by reason OF their
willingness to disassOciate themselves
from q colleague with whom they could
not agree and whom they did not
like The reason thus explicitly as
signed as the controlling motive fol
the dismissal of Mr.. Dittemore by his
fellow Directors was neither quoted
nor stated in the account against
which this protest is made.
"The account in question was also
unfair in that it did not even men,
ton the controversy between The
Christian Science Board of Directors
and the late trustees of The Christian
Science Publishing Society, or the
Dldluuu ) UdILlIlDdllOh bSiti
preceded his removal, although that
controversy was continually mention
ed by the master throughout his re-
port, and it was the controversy TO
which he referred in the finding just
quoted. The suit resulting from that
controversy, brought by the Publishing
Society trustees, was decided by the
Supreme Court of Massachusetts In
favor of the Church Directors.
'Furthermore, the account IN ques-
ton was also very unfair in that 1t
contained nothing about the parts OF
the masters report which disclosed
Mr.. Dittemore's attitude toward Mrs.
Eddy's plan for her Church. 10 a GER
tain extent, however, this attitude
was disclosed in the final paragraph
of the account in question. which was
a paragraph of propaganda calculated
to produce public sentiment against
the form Of church government es-
tablished by Mrs. Eddy. Fol- instance,
1t included the term 'self-perpetuat-
ing Board Of Directors used as a
term Of condemnation or r~eproach, al
though it was Mrs. Eddy herself VINO
established The Christian Science
Board of Directors with the obliga-
ton to fill it's own vacancies.
"As the situation is viewed by all
but a very few of its members the
affairs Of The First Church OF Christ,
Scientist, in Boston, are being conduct
ed in a creditable manner, ana IN Tuil
accord with the Church BYLAWS,
which were written by Mrs. EDDY n
are regarded by all true CHRISTIAN
Scientists as essential to the well
fare Of the Christian Science Move