The Espionage Act of May 16, 1918
Be
it enacted, That section three of the Act . . . approved June I5, 1917, be . . amended so as to read as follows:
SEC.
3. Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully 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 willfully 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 willfully cause . . . or
incite . . . insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the
military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully 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
willfully . . . urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production in this
country of anything 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 coun try 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....