The Tate—A Mystery Remains
Any situation which brings Sir Alfred Munnings and Mr. Douglas Cooper together on the same side of the fence may be considered ironical. It should be remembered when the rumpus at the Tate is under consideration that there are Individuals and organisations which have, so to speak, a vested interest in opposition, but that it is not necessarily common ground which unites them—remembered, too, in spite of the vultures swooping in the frosty air around Milbank, that no suggestion has been made of more than care- lessness and lack of judgement. At the same time, the various statements which have thus far been made leave so many loose ends trailing that the matter cannot be allowed to rest in its present state of indecision. Briefly, the charges that have been made fall under three heads. There is the misuse of moneys from bequests and trust funds, which has already been admitted by the Trustees (though not explained), and financially adjusted by them. There is Mr. Graham Sutherland's allegation . that the Board of Trustees has been misled about current market values with the result that public money has been wasted, combined with a charge that timidity and hesitancy have lost opportunities to purchase at reason- able prices. Third, there are Mr. Sutherland's unspecified charges , which would involve a breach of confidence." ,These will have to be aired before things can settle down again and a statement should be made about the constitutional procedure —if any—governing the Board's meetings.
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