# United States Statutes at Large/Volume 40/65th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 75

Chapter 75, Act of May 16, 1918, is also commonly known by its popular title, the Sedition Act of 1918. This act amended the Espionage Act of 1917.
Chap. 75.—An Act To amend section three, title one, of the Act entitled "An Act to punish acts of interference with the foreign relations, the neutrality, and the foreign commerce of the United States, to punish espionage, and better to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and for other purposes," approved June fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, and for other purposes.
National Defense, Espionage, etc. Espionage offenses. Ante, p. 219, amended.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,Section 1. That section three of title one of the Act entitled "An Act to punish acts of interference with the foreign relations, the neutrality, and the foreign commerce of the United States, to punish espionage, and better to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and for other purposes," approved June fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, be, and the same is hereby, amended so as to read as follows:
"Sec. 3. Making false statements to interfere with success of national forces, etc.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, Obstructing sale of Government bonds, etc.or say or do anything except by way of bona fide and not disloyal advice to an investor or investors, with intent to obstruct the sale by the United States of bonds or other securities of the United States or the making of loans by or to the United States, Inciting disloyalty, mutiny, etc.and whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt to cause, or incite or attempt to incite, insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, Obstructing enlistments.or shall willfully obstruct or attempt to obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, and whoever, when the United States is at war, Disloyal abuse of Government, armed forces, flag, etc.shall willfully 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 of the United States, or the uniform of the Army or Navy of the United States, Uttering contempt of form of government, Constitution, etc.or any language intended to bring 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 of the United States, or the uniform of the Army or Navy of the United States into contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute, Provoking resistance to authorities, displaying enemy flag, etc.or shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any language intended to incite, provoke, or encourage resistance to the United States, or to promote the cause of its enemies, or shall willfully display the flag of any foreign enemy, Crippling production of essentials.or shall willfully by utterance, writing, printing, publication, or language spoken, urge, incite, or advocate any curtailment of production in this country of any thing or things, product or products, necessary or essential to the prosecution of the war in which the United States may be engaged, with intent by such curtailment to cripple or hinder the United States in the prosecution of the war, Advocating prohibited acts.and whoever shall willfully advocate, teach, defend, or suggest the doing of any of the acts or things in this section enumerated, Supporting cause of enemy.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, Punishment.shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 ​or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both: Proviso. Dismissal of Federal employee for disloyal act, etc.Provided, That any employee or official ,of the United States Government who commits any disloyal act or utters any unpatriotic orr disloyal language, or who, in an abusive and violent manner criticizes the Army or Navy or the flag of the United States shall be at once dismissed from the service. Power to dismiss conferred.Any such emptoyee shall be dismissed by the head of the department in which the employee may be engaged, and any such official shall be dismissed by the authority having power to appoint a successor to the dismissed official."
Sec. 2. Mailing and other provisions of original Act applicable hereto. Ante, p. 230.That section one of Title XII and all other provisions of the Act entitled "An Act to punish acts of interference with the foreign relations, the neutrality, and the foreign commerce of the United States, to punish espionage, and better to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and for other purposes," approved June fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, which apply to section three of Title I thereof shall apply with equal force and effect to said section three as amended.
Use of the mails. Ante, p. 231, amended.Title XII of the said Act of June fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, be, and the same is hereby, ameded by adding thereto the following section:
"Sec. 4. Matter addressed to persons violating this Act to be returned to sender.When the United States is at war, the Postmaster General may, upon evidence satisfactory to him that any person or concern is using the mails in violation of any of the provisions of this Act, instruct the postmaster at any post office at which mail is received addressed to such person or concern to return to the postmaster at the office at which the were originally mailed all letters or other matter so addressed, with the words 'Mail to this address undeliverable under Espionage Act' plainly written or stamped upon the outside thereof, and all such letters or other matter so returned to such postmasters shall be by them returned to the senders thereof under such regulations as the Postmaster General may prescribe."
Approved, May 16, 1918.