Adapted from the Book of Robert Vambery by Reginald Arkell, music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Desmond Carter.
The Caribbean island of Santa Maria is the target of an unscrupulous arms dealer, who manages to sell a shipment of weapons to the pacifist president. He then stirs up the neighbouring nation, which prepares to invade in order to defend itself. To make sure the war goes forward, the arms dealer organizes a coup in Santa Maria. Meanwhile, the rush to war is resisted by Juan, a humble peasant, whose cow is confiscated so the government can pay for the war effort. Sentenced to death, he is saved by the fact that none of the purchased weapons actually works. This discovery effectively halts the threat of war, Juan gets his cow back, and all ends happily, as the bad guys flee the island.
