The Public Safety and Defence Bill

It has been decided that Sir Reginald Craddock will introduce the New Bill dealing with the situation in India on the 18th instant and the measure is called the Public Safety and Defence Bills. It is more or less a war measure and will remain in force during the war and six months thereafter. It is presumably modeled upon the Defence of Realms Act passed in England in the beginning of the war, and also contains the changes announced by Viscount Haldane in reply to the debate raised by Lord Parmore. The Bill will probably provide for the constitution of a court for expeditious disposal of cases by summary methods. The Delhi view is that the Bill will meet with little or no opposition in view of the situation in the Punjab and elsewhere which require care in handling.