CENSORSHIP AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS Thus far we have surveyed the discretionary power granted government agencies, consistently with national defense to withhold information from the public, the courts or the legislature, and those powers accorded the executive branch to regulate or conditionally promote propaganda activities of foreign nations. The following section pertaining to censorship and other restrictions may be differentiated from the foregoing as follows. Whereas the first section dealt with government agencies as custodians of information, here we are concerned with limitations imposed upon the efforts of individuals and groups to secure information or to disseminate specified kinds of information which they may possess. The relevant statutes are reviewed under three headings. Certain statutes prohibit the acquisition or attempted acquisition of specified types of defense data. Others prohibit the dissemination of specified kinds of information, or the communication of prescribed opinions. A third group of statutes reflect the disposition of Congress to empower the government to review and edit personal communications media. _Illegal Acquisition of Defense Information_: In January 1938 the President was authorized to define certain vital military and naval installations or equipment requiring protection against the general dissemination of information about them. It became unlawful thereafter to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of these vital military and naval installations or equipment without first obtaining the permission of the commanding officer of the installation concerned. If permission were granted to anyone seeking information, it was necessary to submit to censorship whatever information had been obtained.[484] _Dissemination of Information and Proscribed Opinions_: The same 1938 statute also made it illegal to reproduce, publish, sell, or give away data without first obtaining official permission.[485] The Alien Registration Act of 1940 proscribed the advocacy of certain opinions. It is unlawful for any person, with intent to interfere with, impair, or influence the loyalty, morale, or discipline of the military or naval forces of the United States by seeking to advise, counsel, urge, or in any manner cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty by any member of the military or naval forces of the United States. And it is unlawful for any person to distribute any written or printed matter which advises, counsels, or urges insubordination, disloyalty or mutiny.[486] This Act also makes it unlawful to knowingly or willfully seek the overthrow of any government in the United States by direct or indirect action. Equally proscribed is any effort which has as its goal the assassination of any governmental official.[487] Conspiracy to commit any of the acts enumerated in the statute is also unlawful.[488]