Notes - Aftermaths by A.J. Hall
Reina del Pacifico was a fast steamer plying between Liverpool and South America via Panama. She became notorious two years after the date of this story when Ramsey MacDonald died on board her.
It is July 1935 and Goering has just created the Luftwaffe, the Anglo-German Naval Treaty has been signed, a plebiscite in the Saar has voted to return to Germany and well you can see why Ralph wanted to get hold of a copy of the Times in general.