U.S. Legation in Riga as a Gateway: Reflections in Frederick W. B. Coleman’s 1923 Diary

Abstract

Mr. Frederick William Backus Coleman (1874‒1947) was the first Extraordinary Envoy and Plenipotentiary Minister of the United States to the Republic of Latvia (Estonia, Lithuania) He worked in Latvia from November 1922 to October 1931. This research is based mainly on such primary sources as a diary and letters of Frederick William Backus Coleman. Through the prism of visitors mentioned in the diary, the author attempts to gain insight into the activities of the U.S. Legation in Riga in 1923 and subsequently ascertain the U.S. foreign policy. Most of Coleman’s visitors highlight a divergence of views on how to proceed with Soviet Russia and on cooperation with Europe. During these times, the Legation became a repository of knowledge on Soviet Union.