Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

sting: he pointed to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Immanuel Kant.® Osvalds Akmentin§, in his account of the history of Latvian Ameri- cans, sees communist influence in Daugmanis’ attempts to organise forums in different cities at the end of thirties, in which Latvians of various persua- sions could discuss hot issues.*” From socialist publications of that time we can see that the American Latvian workers - the primary audience of the ® Janis Daugmanis, “Nacionalisms un internacionalisms’, Ausma (April 1943), p. 11. *4 Janis Daugmanis, “Komunisms, nazi-faschisms un demokratija savos idealos un metodés’, Bostonas latviesu apvienota foruma otra darbibas gada apskats un citu latviesu forumu zinojumi (January 1941), p. 17. 85 “Forums, Ausma (March 1944), pp. 15-16. - 8 “No Filadelfijas’, Amerikas Cina, no. 19 (March 1934), pp. 4, 7. 8? Akmentins’, Amerikas latviesi, 1888-1948, p. 129. 116 ‘ ia ii i i ile ited ee at American Latvian Socialist movement - were very fragmented, and some groups lost their radicalism.** Probably among the latter we could find the most ready dialogue partners for Daugmanis’ forums. Daugmanis’ role in uniting Latvian emigrants should not be exaggerated, because he was not the first to be involved in creating bridges of communication among competing Latvian associations. For example, at the end of the 1920s, four Latvian secular organisations organised the Council of Progressive Organisations of Philadelphia, which for some years was very active, but stopped its work in 1932-1933. By that time, local Latvian Baptist and Lutheran congrega- tions only occasionally participated, according to Roberts Lidums, in his book on the history of the Philadelphia Society of Free Letts.*? However, it is undeniable that Daugmanis was a leading figure in the United Forum of Latvians in Boston organised at the end of 1930s. As discussed above, two factors led to the emergence of socialist ideas among Latvian-American Baptists. The first was the influence of the “social gospel”. Several Latvian Baptists (including Péteris BuSmanis and Fricis Huns) studied in Rochester under Walter Rauschenbusch. In addition, we need to take into account the enormous popularity of Rauschenbusch’s thought in America. The second factor was the socialist presence in the immigrant community. Socialists came to America in increasing numbers, especially after the revolution of 1905 when they were severely persecuted in tsarist Russia. Now socialist activities among American Latvians belong to the past. It is ironic that the Roxbury Club in Boston, for a long time one of the well-known centres of Latvian Socialists, became the property of the rightwing organisation Daugavas Vanagi [Eagles of Daugava] in 1956.” New emigrants coming to America after the Second World War changed the political climate of Baptist congregations, as Latvians who fled from Communism obviously had different political tastes. No Latvians from amo