31 JANUARY 1931, Page 3

The Haig Statue The sculptor of the Haig statue is

very accommodating. His first model was a piece of interpretation in the Renaissance manner. The bulk of the horse, not at all like an Army charger, and the figure on the horse, not much like Lord Haig, pained everybody who wanted a statue to be of the usual representative if not photo- graphic kind. Mr. Hardiman at once obliged by making alterations. Now we have a horse which most of the precisians find to be at least a more credible horse, and they admit that the figure on the horse is more like Lord Haig and that the belt, buttons, and so forth con- form to Army orders. Still they are by no means satisfied. Some of them, as the Duke of Portland has said, think the animal a " perfect specimen of a star- gazing, ewe-necked, weedy thoroughbred," and they are offended with a hatless figure in uniform. Our own feeling is that it is not yet possible to impose symbolic art upon an unwilling public, although there need not be panic-stricken yieldings to tailors and veterinary surgeons. As, however, there is still general discontentment, Mr. Lansbury has announced that the sculptor will make further alterations. But is it possible that Mr. Hard iman is making his own ironic comment on the British treatment of statues ?