On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany, marking U.S. entry into World War I. Two months later, on June 15, 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Espionage Act, which imposed severe penalties for spying, interfering with military operations, or obstructing the recruitment or enlistment of U.S. service personnel. In May 1918 the Sedition Act made it a crime to discourage the sale of bonds used to finance the war or to make statements critical of the government. A source of occasional confusion is that the Sedition Act consisted of a series of amendments to the Espionage Act and thus is part of the Espionage Act.