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What was the story on that?

Ballantine was a very difficult fellow to handle. He didn't know what diplomacy meant and he didn't realize that he was dealing with some very successful gentlemen who liked their prerogatives respected. He didn't talk to these great men the way that these great men thought they should be talked to. I was his friend in whom he could confide because Saxe Commins, our editor, was his uncle; and he would come up and tell us his troubles. By now, however, Ian was making moves without authority that they definitely resented. He also was publishing some books that they didn't like--Curtis in particular were shocked at some of the books that he began doing. They didn't even think that he should do What Makes Sammy Run? because they thought that it was a vulgar book. My god, when you think what they sell in paperback today... But that was the way dissension started, and they finally found a technical excuse to get rid of Ian. We had opened an English branch, and now Ian loaned them some sorely needed money without getting the okay of the executive committee. He had no right to do this--but the sum involved amounted to only $26,000. On this flimsy subterfuge they forced him to resign. He was given a very good price for his stock, but by today's standard it was a steal.

I was outraged and demanded another hearing to which he came. He was such a fool that he had faced all of these strong publishing men without a lawyer. Now he brought one,