Earl T. Smith

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Earl Edward Tailer Smith (1903-1991) was a United States foreign diplomat, ambassador to Cuba (1957-1959) and mayor of Palm Beach (1971-1977). Husband of JFK mistress and former model, Florence Pritchett Smith (1920-1965).

Contents

[edit] Biography

Smith was born in Rhode Island and studied at Yale University (1926-28) before becoming an investment broker and a member of the New York Stock Exchange. He also became a partner in the investment brokers, Paige, Smith, and Remick (1930-1939).

In 1941 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Smith as special assistant in the Office of Production Management (later War Production Board). He left this post to serve in the United States Army during the Second World War. He served overseas and by the end of the war reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.

[edit] Cuba

In June, 1957, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Smith Ambassador to Cuba replacing Arthur Gardner. At that time Smith was a successful businessman who had never held a diplomatic position and who did not speak Spanish[1] On arrival Smith was urged by his staff to leave Havana in order to get a better feel of the country, which was in a state of some turmoil. On a visit to Santiago de Cuba Smith witnessed at first hand repressive measures undertaken by the Cuban police and consequently protested to authoritarian President of Cuba Fulgencio Batista. The government in Havana denounced Ambassador Smith's actions as interfering in the internal affairs of Cuba, and relations became terse. Smith was also critical of what he perceived as Washington's ambivalent attitude towards the growing 26th of July movement led by Fidel Castro, feeling that the CIA were underestimating the strength of the Communist Party of Cuba.[2]

Smith resigned his post on 20 January, 1959 to be replaced by Philip Bonsal, only three weeks after the Cuban Revolution led by Castro. In 1960 Smith testified to the Senate Committee on the subject of the "Communist threat to the United States through the Caribbean". During the hearings Smith made the following analysis of the evolving situation in Cuba and U.S. foreign policy in the region:

“ If we are to intervene sufficiently to bring about the overthrow of dictatorships, then we should intervene to whatever extent is required to fulfill our purpose. Otherwise, in my opinion, we must wait for the normal self-development of a people and not assist revolution. And we must be prepared to receive the criticism of supporting friendly governments recognized by the United States, although they have been labeled dictatorships. To make my point more clear, let me say that, we helped to overthrow the Batista dictatorship which was pro-American only to install the Castro dictatorship which is pro-Russian. ”
Preceded by
Arthur Gardner		 United States Ambassador to Cuba
1957-1959		 Succeeded by
Philip Bonsal

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Cuba Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1] Book Excerpt The Man Who Invented Fidel: Castro, Cuba, and Herbert L. Matthews of the New York Times
  2. ^ Batista's Cuba Lyman B. Kirkpatrick, Jr. The Real CIA. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1968
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Cuba-United States relations