“The whole secret-service machinery of the Government has been put in operation.  No one has been able to extract from the authorities the exact secret which was stolen, but it is believed to be an invention which will revolutionise the structure and construction of the most modern monster battleships.  Such knowledge, it is said, in the hands of experts might prove fatal in almost any fight in which our newer ships met others of about equal fighting power, as with it marksmen might direct a shot that would disable our ships.

“It is the opinion of the experts that the theft was executed by a skilled draughtsman or other civilian employe.  At any rate, the thief knew what to take and its value.  There is, at least, one nation, it is asserted, which faces the problem of bringing its ships up to the standard of our own to which the plans would be very valuable.

“The building had been thrown open to the public for the display of fireworks on the Monument grounds before it.  The plans are said to have been on one of the draughting-tables, drawn upon linen to be made into blue-prints.  They are known to have been on the tables when the draughting-room was locked for the night.

“The room is on the third floor of the Department and has a balcony looking out on the Monument.  Many officers and officials had their families and friends on the balcony to witness the celebration, though it is not known that any one was in the draughting-room itself.  All were admitted to the building on passes.  The plans were tacked to a draughting-board in the room, but when it was opened in the morning the linen sheet was gone, and so were the thumb-tacks.  The plans could readily have been rolled into a small bundle and carried under a coat or wrap.

“While the authorities are trying to minimise the actual loss, it is believed that this position is only an attempt to allay the great public concern.”

I paused.  “Now then,” I added, picking up one of the other papers I had brought up-town myself, “take the Express.  It says that the plans were important, but would have been made public in a few months, anyhow.  Here: 

“The theft—­or mislaying, as the Department hopes it will prove to be—­took place several days ago.  Official confirmation of the report is lacking, but from trustworthy unofficial sources it is learned that only unimportant parts of plans are missing, presumably minor structural details of battle-ship construction, and other things of a really trivial character, such as copies of naval regulations, etc.

“The attempt to make a sensational connection between the loss and a controversy which is now going on with a foreign government is greatly to be deplored and is emphatically asserted to be utterly baseless.  It bears traces of the jingoism of those ‘interests’ which are urging naval increases.