the Espionage Act
[16 May 1918 excerpts]
Be it enacted, That section three of the Act ... approved June
15, 1917, be ... amended so as to read as follows:
SECTION 3.
Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall wilfully make or
convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere
with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of
the United States, or to promote the success of its enemies, or
shall wilfully make or convey false reports, or false statements,
or say or do anything except by way of bona fide and not disloyal
advice to an investor ... with intent to obstruct the sale by the
United States of bonds ... or the making of loans by or to the
United States, or whoever, when the United States is at war,
shall wilfully cause ...or incite ... insubordination,
disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval
forces of the United States, or shall wilfully obstruct ...the
recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, and
whoever, when the United States is at war, shall wilfully utter,
print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or
abusive language about the form of government of the United
States, or the Constitution of the United States, or the military
or naval forces of the United States, or the flag ... or the
uniform of the Army or Navy of the United States, or any language
intended to bring the form of government ... or the Constitution
... or the military or naval forces ...or the flag ... of the
United States into contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute ...
or shall wilfully display the flag of any foreign enemy, or shall
wilfully ... urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of
production in this country of any thing or things ... necessary
or essential to the prosecution of the war ... and whoever shall
wilfully advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of
the acts or things in this section enumerated and whoever shall
by word or act support or favor the cause of any country with
which the United States is at war or by word or act oppose the
cause of the United States therein, shall be punished by a fine
of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty
years, or both ....
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