The film is set in the 1930s, and James Cagney plays the editor of a Tokyo newspaper. One day he learns that the Japanese have a plan to take over the world, and publishes it in his newspaper.
When the news reaches the points of sale the authorities demand that he remove the newspapers, to which Cagney does not agree, especially after learning that his best friend, along with his wife, have been murdered due to this matter. In addition, he is determined to make the whole world know, so he plans to steal a document that proves it.