Arthur Gardner
Encyclopedia
Arthur Gardner was a United States foreign
diplomat
and American ambassador to Cuba
1953-1957. Gardner was a close confident of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
and was also strongly pro-Batista
.
Gardner fought in World War I, and worked for the War Production Board
during World War II. Following the war Gardner became an assistant to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, John W. Snyder
. Following the Cuban revolution
of 1959, Gardner testified that he felt that Washington had "pulled the rug out" from under Batista. He added
In the early days of the second Eisenhower administration Gardner was pressured to resign his position as ambassador to Cuba, even though Gardner had gone directly to President Eisenhower to ask to stay on. Pressure also came to bear that Gardner's closeness to Batista, blinded him to the perceived atrocities taking place all over the island. Gardner's position came to be viewed as a liability, and his continuing as ambassador was portrayed as an obstacle to improving relations between the countries during the predicted transition from Batista to a new regime.
On Jun 16, 1957, Gardner was forced to resign. In his place, Eisenhower named Earl E.T. Smith as Gardner's successor.
Foreign relations of the United States
The United States has formal diplomatic relations with most nations. The United States federal statutes relating to foreign relations can be found in Title 22 of the United States Code.-Pacific:-Americas:-Caribbean:...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and American ambassador to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
1953-1957. Gardner was a close confident of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and was also strongly pro-Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
.
Gardner fought in World War I, and worked for the War Production Board
War Production Board
The War Production Board was established as a government agency on January 16, 1942 by executive order of Franklin D. Roosevelt.The purpose of the board was to regulate the production and allocation of materials and fuel during World War II in the United States...
during World War II. Following the war Gardner became an assistant to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, John W. Snyder
John W. Snyder
John Wesley Snyder was an American businessman and Cabinet Secretary.-Biography:Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, he studied at Vanderbilt University's engineering school for one year before joining in the Army during World War I.Snyder came to Washington in the early 1930s with a broad background in...
. Following the Cuban revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
of 1959, Gardner testified that he felt that Washington had "pulled the rug out" from under Batista. He added
In the early days of the second Eisenhower administration Gardner was pressured to resign his position as ambassador to Cuba, even though Gardner had gone directly to President Eisenhower to ask to stay on. Pressure also came to bear that Gardner's closeness to Batista, blinded him to the perceived atrocities taking place all over the island. Gardner's position came to be viewed as a liability, and his continuing as ambassador was portrayed as an obstacle to improving relations between the countries during the predicted transition from Batista to a new regime.
On Jun 16, 1957, Gardner was forced to resign. In his place, Eisenhower named Earl E.T. Smith as Gardner's successor.