Propaganda?

$500,000 MAIL STOLEN ON LEVIATHAN

Such was a recent headline, typical of hundreds which appeared throughout the world when the flagship of the U. S. Lines last docked at Southampton, England.

As the Leviathan steamed into New York harbor, last week, her skipper, Captain Harold Cunningham, pounded a table to the delight of ship news reporters and roared: "The theft did not happen aboard my ship. It's all a lot of damned British propaganda!"

Queried a reporter: "Isn't your language a little strong?"

Vexed, the Captain rapped, "You may make it doubly strong! . . . One Scotland Yard detective, after inspecting the mail compartment and the method of protecting the mail on the Leviathan, assured me that he did not see how the robbery could have been committed aboard ship."

Chairman T. V. O'Connor of the U. S. Shipping Board said: "The amount missing is negligible. I consider the story another bit of British propaganda against American shipping. The figure of $500,000 was set by British newspaper men who were absolutely in no position to state the amount supposed to have been stolen."

The amount was not authoritatively stated, last week, nor was the fact or nature of the theft confirmed.