The Press: Fidelity to Fidel

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He Was Pushed. With little alteration. Matthews sang Fidelity for four years. His misplaced loyalty continued to color the Times's editorials on Cuba (which, curiously, still remain a Matthews responsibility). Those who saw Castro's Cuba in a harsher light he branded as "distorted, unfair, ill-informed and intensely emotional"—accusations more accurately leveled at Matthews (who once admitted that "I would never dream of hiding my own bias or denying it").

Intended as a ringing defense of his own reporting on Cuba, his book only demonstrates how wrong Matthews was then, and how wrong he is now. The reporter who adopted a rebel has now become Castro's apologist: "Let me repeat that I am not making a moral judgment in saying that given the problems he faced, internally and externally, given the character of the Cuban people, and given his determination to make a radical, social revolution. Fidel came up with a logical answer." Besides, says Matthews. Castro did not necessarily turn left; he may have been pushed: "Historians will have to ask themselves how much the American attitude and policies helped to force Fidel Castro in this direction.'' (Even Times book reviewer, Charles Poore, appeared upset by this Matthews deduction. Wrote Poore last week in his review of Colleague Matthews' book: "The reasoning here, possibly, is that if we had identified them as cowards or as abominable snowmen, we'd have martyrized them into becoming cowards or abominable snowmen.")

Historians will also have to weigh the damage that Timesman Matthews did by glorifying Castro, the damage he did with his Times editorials, which were influential in delaying U.S. recognition of the true dimensions of the Cuban problem. But with self-assurance. Herb Matthews has already decided what the historians will say: "The only monument I want to leave on earth is for some student years from now to consult the files of The New York Times for information about the Cuban Revolution, and find my byline, and know that he can trust it.''