▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁an ▁established ▁national ▁intelligence ▁service , ▁other ▁than ▁diplom ats ▁and ▁few ▁military ▁and ▁naval ▁attach es , ▁making ▁the ▁investigation ▁difficult . ▁Without ▁a ▁formal ▁intelligence ▁service ▁on ▁the ▁national ▁level , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁only ▁had ▁rud iment ary ▁communic ations ▁security ▁and ▁no ▁federal ▁stat ute ▁forb idd ing ▁pe ac etime ▁esp ion age ▁or ▁sab ot age , ▁making ▁the ▁connections ▁to ▁the ▁sab ote urs ▁and ▁accomp lices ▁almost ▁impossible ▁to ▁track . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁This ▁attack ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁many ▁during ▁the ▁German ▁sab ot age ▁campaign ▁against ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁notable ▁for ▁its ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁shift ▁of ▁public ▁opinion ▁against ▁Germany , ▁which ▁eventually ▁resulted ▁in ▁American ▁support ▁to ▁enter ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁The ▁Russian ▁government ▁su ed ▁the ▁Le high ▁Valley ▁Rail road ▁Company ▁operating ▁the ▁Black ▁Tom ▁Terminal ▁on ▁grounds ▁that ▁la x ▁security ▁( there ▁was ▁no ▁entrance ▁gate ; ▁the ▁territory ▁was ▁un lit ) ▁permitted ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁their ▁am mun ition ▁and ▁argued ▁that ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁failure ▁to ▁deliver ▁them ▁the ▁manufact urer ▁was ▁obliged ▁by ▁the ▁contract ▁to ▁replace ▁them . ▁ ▁The ▁Le high ▁Valley ▁Rail road , ▁ad vised ▁by ▁John ▁J . ▁McC loy , ▁sought ▁dam ages ▁against ▁Germany ▁under ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Berlin ▁from ▁the ▁German - American ▁M ixed ▁Cla ims ▁Commission . ▁The ▁M ixed ▁Cla