Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-06
ESPIONAGE ACT
BROAD IN TERMS

AS il has been amended the So
called sedition or espionage act, Is
broad enough TO cover every con-
! ceivable disloyal activity and bring
the one committing 1t in line for
punishment. The essential provis-
| ions are found in Section 3, which
reads:
Section 8. Whoever, when the
United States is at war. shall WILL
| fully make or convey false reports
or false statements with intent 10
interfere with the operation or sue
| cess of the military or naval forces
o the United States, or to promote
the success of its enemies, or shall
willfully make or convey Ease re-
ports or false statements, or say or
do anything except by way of bona
flde 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 MAX
ing of loans by or to the United
States, and whoever, when the Unit
ed States is at war, shall wllifully
cause, or attempt to cause, or IN
cite or attempt to incite, insubord-
ination, disloyalty. mutiny, or re-
fusal of duty, in the military or
naval force of the United States. or
shall Willfully Obstruct or attempt
to obStruct the recruiting or enlist
ment service of the United States,
and whoever, when the United
States is at war, shall willfully ut
ter, print, write, or publish any dis
loyal, profane, scurrilOus, or abus-
i've language about the form OF gov
eminent of the United tSates, or
the Constitution of the United
States. or the uniform of the army
or navy OF the United States, 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 or
the United States into contempt,
scorn, contumely, or disrepute, Or
shall wilfully utter, print, write, or
publish any language intended ID
inCite, provoke, or encourage re-
sistance to the United States, or TO
promote the cause of its enemies,
or shall willfully display the flag
Of any foreign enemy, or shall will
fully by utterance, writing, print
ing, publication, or language Spok-
en-, urge, inCite, or advocate any
curtailment of production in this
country of any thing or things, pro-
duct or products, necessary or eS-
Sential to the prosecution of the
war in which the United States may
be engaged, with intent by such
to cripple or hinder the
United States in the prosecution OF
the war, and whoever shall will
fully advocate, teach, defend, or
the doing of any of the acts
or things in this section enumerat- |
ed, 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 $4,000 !
or Imprisonment for not more than !
twenty years, or both.
provided, That any employee or /
official of the United States govern
ment who commits any disloyal act |
or utters any unpatriotic or dis |
loyal language, or who, in an abus- /
I've and violent manner criticiZe5 J
the army or navy or the flag of the |
United States shall be at once dis
missed from the service. Any such |
shall be dismissed by the
head of the department in which
the employee LAY be engaged, ard
any such official shall be dismissed
by the authority having power to
appoint a successor to the dis
missed official"