Who "Lost" Cuba?

Who "Lost" Cuba?
Humberto Fontova | Aug 23, 2013

Much of what's called "McCarthyism" started with the debate over "Who
Lost China." A similar debate regarding Cuba-- and involving an
amazingly similar cast of protagonists and antagonists—erupted when
Fidel Castro came out of the closet in late 1960 as a Communist.

Given that Fidel Castro (twice and wantonly) brought the world to the
brink of nuclear war and Cuba remains an official "State-Sponsor-of
Terror," you'd think this Cuba debate merits some attention.

That Castro's predecessor Fulgencio Batista was a "U.S.-backed dictator"
and Castro was "bullied" by the U.S. (especially the CIA) into his
Soviet-alliance remains a cherished item of liberal (and even
mainstream) political folklore. Poor Castro, goes the fairy tale,
constantly beaten by the Yankee Big Stick and with nary a carrot in
sight. We left him no choice.

Where to begin?

At the beginning, of course. In the late 50's, two Republican
ambassadors to Cuba, Arthur Gardner and Earl T. Smith, lost their jobs
for butting heads against their liberal State Department chiefs. These
ambassadors' crimes? Insisting that the official U.S. policy of helping
Fidel Castro shoot his way to power in Cuba was stupid.

On August 27, 1960 during Senate subcommittee hearings titled,
"Communist Threat to the United States Through the Caribbean," these two
former ambassadors to Cuba testified to the nature of the head-butting:

Senator DODD: "You have been quoted, Mr. Gardner, as referring to,
"Castro worship" in the State Department in 1957. ...you are quoted as
saying you fought all the time with the State Department over whether
Castro merited the support or friendship of the United States…Mr.
Gardner, do you have any idea why the United States allowed Castro to
get arms from the United States, and would not allow Batista to have
arms to preserve his government...you have been quoted as saying that
Washington, "pulled the rug out" from under Batista?"

Mr Gardner: "I feel it very strongly, that the State Department was
influenced, first, by those stories by (the New York Times') Herbert
Matthews, and soon (support for Castro) became kind of a fetish with them."

Senator Dodd: "(in preparation for his post) your successor as
Ambassador to Cuba, Earl Smith was actually (sent by his State Dept.
superiors) to be briefed by New York Times' Herbert Matthews?"

Mr. GARDNER. "Yes, that is right."

Source: "Who "Lost" Cuba? - Humberto Fontova - Page 1" -
http://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2013/08/23/who-lost-cuba-n1671100