In the 1922 case of Mason et al. v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled on a matter involving a contract for government construction work and its subsequent termination by the U.S. The plaintiffs, Mason and Hanger Company, had entered into an agreement with the federal government to construct buildings at Camp Sherman in Ohio during World War I. However, after Armistice was declared but before completion of all contracted work, Congress passed legislation authorizing cancellation of such contracts due to cessation of hostilities. The Secretary of War subsequently terminated their contract under this new law. Mason and Hanger sued for damages claiming that they were entitled to full payment as per original terms since they were ready and willing to complete all works when it was cancelled unilaterally by the government without any fault on their part. The Supreme Court disagreed with them stating that while contractors are generally entitled to compensation if a contract is wrongfully terminated or breached by another party; here however there was no wrongful act as Congress's action was lawful exercise of governmental power responding to changed circumstances brought about by end-of-war conditions which could not have been anticipated at time when parties entered into said agreement.

In the dissenting opinion for Mason et al. v. United States, Justice McReynolds disagreed with the majority's decision to uphold a conviction under the Espionage Act of 1917. He argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove that defendants had conspired to obstruct military recruitment during World War I as charged by the government. The justice believed that mere membership in an organization opposed to war did not automatically imply intent or action against recruitment efforts and thus should not be criminalized. Furthermore, he contended that it was unjustifiable for individuals who merely held anti-war beliefs but took no active steps towards impeding enlistment or draft processes, to face such severe penalties under this law.