An Act to revise and extend the laws relating to espionage and sabotage, and for other purposes
PL 83-777 (H.R.9580), enacted 09/03/1954

1216 
PUBLIC LAW 777-SEPT. 3, 1954 
[68 STAT. 
Section 12: West half northwest quarter. 
Township 16 north, range 31 east, Black Hills meridian 
Section 28: Northwest quarter; west half northeast quarter; lots 
1 and 2. 
Approved September 3, 1954. 
Public Law 777 
CHAPTER 1261 
September 3, 1954 
^^ 
A C T 
[H. R. 9580] 
To revise and extend the laws relating to espionage and sabotage, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
Q^K^fTff^.t"^ United States of America 
in Congress assemhled. That this Act, 
o a D o t a g e Act o
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1954. 
divided into titles and sections, may be cited as the "li/spionage and 
Sabotage Act of 1954". 
TITLE I—WAR AND DEFENSE MATERIALS, PREMISES 
AND UTILITIES 
62 Stat. 798. 
§£0. 101. Sectiou 2151 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
to read as follows: 
"§2151. Definitions. 
"As used in this chapter: 
"The words 'war material' include arms, armament, ammunition, 
livestock, forage, forest products and standing timber, stores of cloth-
ing, air, water, food, foodstuffs, fuel, supplies, munitions, and all 
articles, parts or ingredients, intended for, adapted to, or suitable for 
the use of the United States or any associate nation, in connection with 
the conduct of war or defense activities. 
"The words 'war premises' include all buildings, grounds, mines, 
or other places wherein such war material is being produced, manu-
factured, repaired, stored, mined, extracted, distributed, loaded, 
unloaded, or transported, together with all machinery and appliances 
therein contained; and all forts, arsenals, navy yards, camps, prisons, 
or other installations of the Armed Forces of the United States, or 
any associate nation. 
"The words 'war utilities' include all railroads, railways, electric 
lines, roads of whatever description, any railroad or railway fixture, 
canal, lock, dam, wharf, pier, dock, bridge, building, structure, engine, 
machine, mechanical contrivance, car, vehicle, boat, aircraft, airfields, 
air lanes, and fixtures or appurtenances thereof, or any other means 
of transportation whatsoever, whereon or whereby such war material 
or any troops of the United States, or of any associate nation, are 
being or may be transported either within the limits of the United 
States or upon the hi^h seas or elsewhere; and all air-conditioning 
systems, dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, water and gas mains and pipes, 
structures and buildings, whereby or in connection with which air, 
water or gas is being furnished, or may be furnished, to any war 
premises or to the Armed Forces of the United States, or any associate 
nation, and all electric light and power, steam or pneumatic power, 
telephone and telegraph plants, poles, wires, and fixtures, and wire-
less stations, and the buildings connected with the maintenance and 
operation thereof used to supply air, water, light, heat, power, or 
facilities of communication to any war premises or to the Armed 
Forces of the United States, or any associate nation. 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 7 7 7 - S E P T . 3, 1954 
1217 
"The words 'associate nation' mean any nation at war with any 
nation with which the United States is at war. 
"The words 'national-defense material' include arms, armament, 
ammunition, livestock, forage, forest products and standing timber, 
stores of clothing, air, water, food, foodstuffs, fuel, supplies, muni-
tions, and all other articles of whatever description and any part or 
ingredient thereof, intended for, adapted to, or suitable for the use 
of the United States in connection with the national defense or for 
use in or in connection with the j)roducing, manufacturing, repairing, 
storing, mining, extracting, distributing, loading, unloading, or 
transporting of any of the materials or other articles hereinbefore 
mentioned or any part or ingredient thereof. 
"Tlie words 'national-defense premises' include all buildings, 
grounds, mines, or other places wherein such national-defense mate-
rial is being produced, manufacttired, repaired, stored, mined, ex-
tracted, distributed, loaded, unloaded, or transported, together with 
all machinery and appliances therein contained; and all forts, ar-
senals, navy yards, camps, prisons, or other installations of the Armed 
Forces of the United States. 
"The words 'national-defense utilities' include all railroads, rail-
ways, electric lines, roads of whatever description, railroad or railway 
fixture, canal, lock, dam, wharf, pier, dock, bridge, building, struc-
ture, engine, machine, mechanical contrivance, car, vehicle, boat, air-
craft, airfields, air lanes, and fixtures or appurtenances thereof, or any 
other means of transportation whatsoever, whereon or whereby such 
national-defense material, or any troops of the United States, are 
being or may be transported either within the limits of the United 
States or upon the high seas or elsewhere; and all air-conditioning 
systems, dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, water and gas mains and pipes, 
structures, and buildings, whereby or in connection with which air, 
water, or gas may be furnished to any national-defense premises or 
to the Armed Forces of the United States, and all electric light and 
power, steam or pneumatic power, telephone and telegraph plants, 
poles, wires, and fixtures and wireless stations, and the buildings 
connected with the maintenance and operation thereof used to supply 
air, water, light, heat, power, or facilities of communication to any 
national-defense premises or to the Armed Forces of the United 
States." 
SEC. 102. Section 2153 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
62 stat. 799. 
to read as follows: 
"§ 2153. Destruction of war material, war premises, or war utilities. 
"(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, or in times of 
national emergency as declared by the President or by the Congress, 
with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States 
or any associate nation in preparing for or carrying on the war or 
defense activities, or, with reason to believe that his act may injure, 
interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation 
in preparing for or carrying on the war or defense activities, willfully 
injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or attempts to so injure, 
destroy, contaminate or infect any war material, war premises, or 
war utilities, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not 
more than thirty years, or both. 
"(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one 
or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the con-
spiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as pro-
vided in subsection (a) of this section." 
39777 o—55—pt. 1 
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PUBLIC LAW 777-SEPT. 3, 1954 
[68 STAT. 
62 Stat. 799. 
SEC. 103. Sectioii 2154 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
to read as follows: 
"§ 2154. Production of defective war material, war premises, or war 
utilities. 
"(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, or in times of 
national emergency as declared by the President or by the Congress, 
with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States 
or any associate nation in preparing for or carrying on the war or 
defense activities, or, with reason to believe that his act may injure, 
interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation 
in preparing for or carrying on the war or defense activities, willfully 
makes, constructs, or causes to be made or constructed in a defective 
manner, or attempts to make, construct, or cause to be made or con-
structed in a defective manner any war material, war premises or war 
utilities, or any tool, implement, machine, utensil, or receptacle used 
or employed in making, producing, manufacturing, or repairing any 
such war material, war premises or war utilities, shall be fined not 
more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than thirty years, or both. 
"(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and 
one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the con-
spiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as 
provided in subsection (a) of this section." 
62 Stat. 799. 
gj,^. 104 ggction 2155 of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
to read as follows: 
"§ 2155. Destruction of national-defense materials, national-defense 
premises or national-defense utilities. 
"(a) Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the 
national defense of the United States, willfully injures, destroys, con-
taminates or infects, or attempts to so injure, destroy, contaminate or 
infect any national-defense material, national-defense premises, or 
national-defense utilities, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or im-
prisoned not more than ten years, or both. 
"(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and 
one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the con-
spiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as 
provided in subsection (a) of this section." 
62 Stat. 800. 
8^0.105. Scctiou 2156 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
"§ 2156. Production of defective national-defense material, national-
defense premises or national-defense utilities. 
"(a) Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the 
national defense of the United States, willfully makes, constructs, or 
attempts to make or construct in a defective manner, any national-
defense material, national-defense premises or national-defense util-
ities, or any tool, implement, machine, utensil, or receptacle used or 
employed in making, producing, manufacturing, or repairing any 
such national-defense material, national-defense premises or national-
defense utilities, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not 
more than ten years, or both. 
"(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one 
or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspir-
acy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as pro-
vided in subsection (a) of this section." 
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PUBLIC LAW 7 7 8 - S E P T . 3, 1954 
1219 
SEC. 106. The analysis immediately preceding section 2151 of title 
18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
"Sec. 
2151. Definitions. 
2152. Fortifications, harbor defenses or defensive sea areas. 
21.53. Destruction of war material, war premises or war utilities. 
2154. Production of defective war material, war premises or war utilities. 
21.55. Destruction of national-defense materials, national-defense premises or 
national-defense utilities. 
2156. Production 
of 
defective 
national-defense 
material, 
national-defense 
premises or national-defense utilities." 
TITLE II—DISCLOSUKE OF INFORMATION 
RELATING 
TO NATIONAL DEFENSE 
SEC. 201. Section 794 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to 
^^ stat. 737. 
read as follows: 
"(a) Whoever, with intent or reason to believe that it is to be used 
to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign 
nation, communicates, delivers, or transmits, or attempts to com-
municate, deliver, or transmit, to any foreign government, or to any 
faction or party or military or naval force within a foreign country, 
whether recognized or unrecognized by the United States, or to any 
representative, officer, agent, employee, subject, or citizen thereof, 
either directly or indirectly, any document, writing, code book, signal 
book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, 
map, model, note, instrument, appliance, or information relating to 
the national defense, shall be punished by death or by imprisonment 
for any term of years or for life. 
"(b) Whoever, in time of war, with intent that the same shall 
be communicated to the enemy, collects, records, publishes, or com- 
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municates, or attempts to elicit any information with respect to the 
movement, numbers, description, condition, or disposition of any 
of the Armed Forces, ships, aircraft, or war materials of the United 
States, or with respect to the plans or conduct, or supposed plans or 
conduct of any naval or military operations, or with respect to any 
works or measures undertaken for or connected with, or intended for 
the fortification or defense of any place, or any other information 
relating to the public defense, which might be useful to the enemy, 
shall be punished by death or by imprisonment for any term of years 
or for life. 
"(c) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one 
or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the con-
spiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be subject to the 
punishment provided for the offense which is the object of such 
conspiracy." 
Approved September 3, 1954. 
Public Law 778 
CHAPTER 1262 
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September 3. 1954 
Making appropriations for Mutual Security for the fiscal year ending June 30, 
LH. R. 10051] 
1955, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the /Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Conqress assembled. That the following . Mutual sectn-ity 
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£ 
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^ Appropriation Act, 
sums are appropriated, out 01 any money m the Ireasury not other- 1955. 
wise appropriated, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1955, namely: