§ 52. All intercourse between the inhabitants of territories occupied by belligerent armies, whether by traffic, by letter, by travel, or in any other way, ceases. This is the general rule, to be observed without special proclamation.
Exceptions to this rule, whether by safe-conduct, or permission to trade on a small or large scale, or by exchanging mails, or by travel from one territory into the other, can take place only according to agreement approved by the government, or by the highest military authority.
Contraventions of this rule are highly punishable.
§ 53. Ambassadors, and all other diplomatic agents of neutral powers, accredited to the enemy, ought to receive safe-conducts through the territories occupied by the belligerents, unless there are military reasons to the contrary, and unless they may reach the place of their destination conveniently by another route. It implies no international affront if the safe-conduct is declined.
§ 54. If a person belonging to the territory of the enemy, occupied by a hostile army, gives information to the enemy, unauthorized to do so by the occupying or conquering authority, such person is either a spy or traitor, and in either case is punished with death.
§ 55. A spy is a person who secretly, in disguise or under false pretence, seeks information with the intention of communicating it to the enemy, or who causes others to do so.
The spy is punished with death by hanging by the neck, whether or not he succeeded in obtaining the information, or in conveying it to the enemy.
§ 56. If a citizen of the United States obtains information in a legitimate manner, and betrays it to the enemy, be he a military or civil officer, or a private citizen, he is a traitor, and is condemned to death.
§ 57. All unauthorized and secret communication with the enemy, is considered treasonable by the Law of War.
§ 58. A messenger carrying despatches, in whatever form, from one portion of the army, or from a besieged place, to another portion of the same army, or its government—if captured while doing so, in the enemy’s territory, or in the territory occupied by the enemy, is treated by the capturing enemy as a spy.