At the end of World War II, Steve Kimball, an egotistical foreign correspondent, is anxious to return to New York for a series of lecture dates and agrees to chaperone a troupe of fifteen youthful entertainers who have been stranded in Europe because of the war. In exchange for his service, Steve is given a cot in the troupe's shipboard dormitory room. Sneaking onboard with the fifteen youths is Bridget Forrester, who became separated from her reporter father during the war. When Steve discovers his extra charge, he insists upon reporting Bridget to the captain. Due to lack of space onboard the ship, Steve's group is joined by Kay Lawrence, an American singer also returning home. Upon learning of Bridget's predicament, Kay chides Steve for his lack of sympathy. When Steve approaches the captain to report Bridget, he overhears the officer ordering another stowaway off the boat and has a change of heart. After discovering that Steve has tried to bribe the ship's radio operator to give priority to his news stories, the captain forbids him access to the radio room. The ever-resourceful Steve presses Bridget into service by having her send his messages in a special "love code" so that the captain won't suspect. When Steve forbids the teenagers to sing or hold hands, they decide to divert his attention by striking up a romance between him and Kay. That night, Bridget enlists Kay in their scheme and she agrees to join Steve for a stroll on deck. Although Steve protests that women are of no interest to him, when he goes to bed that night, he calls out Kay's name in his sleep. The next day, determined to impress Kay, Steve inscribes a copy of a book he has written and places it on a deck chair for her to find. When the ship's pastor preaches a sermon about humility, however, Steve tries to hide the book before Kay can find it. After Kay chides him for trying to impress her, Steve admits that he is lonely, and the two agree to meet for lunch. Later, the captain asks Steve to help in a shipboard broadcast of the "America Speaks" show, and Kay suggests letting the teenagers perform. Meanwhile, Bridget has developed a crush on Steve and spurns the attentions of Jimmy, a member of the troupe who has fallen in love with her. That night, Steve generously turns the show over to the youngsters, and after their performance, the lovesick Jimmy proposes to Bridget. After rejecting Jimmy's proposal, Bridget vows to win Steve's heart from Kay. When Steve gives Bridget another message to send, written in the love code, Kay finds it and assumes that Steve is two-timing her. Bridget, intent on breaking them up, says nothing when Kay insists on sending the message herself and adds two lines of her own, changing the message to read that Steve has authored the Allied Peace Plan. Upon receiving the scoop, Steve's editor trumpets it in banner headlines. When the boat docks in New York, Steve, unaware of his newfound celebrity, runs after Kay, who still refuses to speak to him. Steve is stopped by State Department officials, who take him to jail and lock him in a cell with his publisher and editor, who then confront the unwary Steve with his story. Realizing that Steve's arrest is her fault, Bridget finds Kay and explains everything. As Steve's editor and publisher prepare to strangle him, a call comes from the State Deparment, ordering his release. When Kay is late for her performance at the nightclub because she has gone to meet Steve, Bridget steps into her spot and is joined by Jimmy.