The summer of 1917 can be remembered as one of the darkest pages in the history of American civil liberties. It began when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Espionage Act on June 15, part of which read, “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 … shall be punished by a fine of not…