International News

Perhaps the most notable of newspaper stories, and certainly the one that featured the most amusing headline, came in The Times of London on July 9, 1975. The story was above the fold (meaning it would have been displayed prominently in folded copies on newsstands) and to the right of a photograph of Prince Charles.

Reporter Louis Heren provided lengthy quotes from the original Richmond Mercury advertisement and even included the address of the newspaper where contributions could be sent, adding “Presumably sinking pounds will be accepted, although they may suggest that reunion is not such a good idea after all.” (Since February 1975, the pound had dropped nearly 10 percent in value compared to the U.S. dollar and would drop a full 20 percent by the end of the year.)

See the full article (PDF).

The appearance in The Times spurred even more coverage in the United States and led to many letters from British readers, who seemed to understand the joke better than many Americans.

Next: Penn Gazette, Part 2