EARL HAIG’S DIARY

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1935, Page 5

EARL HAIG’S DIARY

USE IN RIVAL PUBLICATIONS. APPLICATION MADE TO COURT. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright Rec. 10.30 p.m. London, Sept. 2. Lady Haig’s biography of her husband (Earl Haig) entitled “The Man I Knew,” due for publication on September 6 and written to counteract Mr. Lloyd George’s war memoirs, has been temporarily withdrawn following Lord Carmont granting an interim interdict in the Edinburgh Court on the petition of Major-Generals Fisher and Depree, forming the majority of Earl Haig’s trustees. Their application was based on the ground that the book infringed the copyright of the biography which the trustees had arranged for Mr. A. Duff Cooper, M.P., to prepare placing Earl Haig’s diaries at his disposal. 1 General Carmont said that Earl Haig was an inveterate diarist whose daily records during the war aggregated 32 volumes and over 750,000 words. They alleged that Lady Haig’s book, especially the chapter dealing with the war, gave verbatim or paraphased many passages in the diaries.

Lord Carmont did not agree with the petitioners that Lady Haig, who is the, third trustee, had committed a breach of duty as custodian of the diaries and letters she received but the trustees could hardly be expected to be content with a large bowl of skimmed milk. It was not surprising that they believed the trust estate would suffer through the publication of the widow’s book. The case will be reheard at the Edinburgh sessions.