September 12 Wednesday – In Etretat, France Sam finished his Sept. 11 to J. Henry Harper. He wrote but a few lines about inserts to the MS and of missing later segments that he suggested the French custom house might have taken:

…still, they wouldn’t want literature that isn’t indecent, would they? [MTP].

Bainbridge Colby, the assignee of Webster & Co., cabled Sam:

Important you see Chatto personally at once arrange postponement of publication until his date with Bliss. Note: this relates to PW being published by his former publisher, Frank Bliss, of the American Publishing Co. [MTP].

Sam then wrote to Bainbridge Colby “& intimated that any serious delay in fixing a date-for-issue…could much inconvenience” his English publisher, Chatto & Windus, and make the US publication “nearly worthless” should Chatto publish first (letter not extant but contents discussed in Sept. 12 to Chatto & Windus).

Sam then wrote to Chatto & Windus, his English publisher, with news that a deal had been struck with Bliss for PW and that he’d warned Colby that a delay would hurt Chatto.

Won’t you put yourself in communication with Colby or Bliss & get things straightened out?

My impression has been that Bliss wanted to publish on some date between Oct. 15 & Nov. 15 [MTP].