Title I, Section 3 of the 1917 Espionage Act, as amended in 1918:

Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully make or convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with he operation or success of the military . . . or to promote the success of its enemies, or shall . . . say or do anything . . . with intent to obstruct the sale by the United States of bonds or other securities . . . [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, 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 . . . or the military or naval forces . . . or the flag of the United States, or the uniform of the Army or Navy . . . or any language intended to bring the form of government of the United States . . . [or the Constitution, the military, the flag, or the uniform of the Army or Navy] . . . into contempt, scorn, contumely, or disrepute, or shall willfully utter, print, write, or publish any language intended to incite, provoke, or encourage resistance tot he United States, or to promote the cause of its enemies, or shall willfully display the flag of any foreign enemy, 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 . . . and whoever shall willfully 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.