Frost Our OWN ConussronoENr Calcutta, July 23, The part played by the vernacular press inthe Punjab in stirring Jcommunal war was the subject of scathing criticism in the Punjab [Council by Mr, Craik, Chief Seer tary. His speech was inspired by a debate on the viots at Multa Ja_motion having been moved to sonss the prevention of such inde dents in the future. After remarking that all' Punjabis should ashamed of riots like these in their midst, Mr. Craik began his attack, "T have studied the Pross of this Province personally for the last five yours, ind to a certain extent of the other Provinces," he suid "and have no hesitation in saying: that the Punjab vernacular press ex-Jeeeds in virulence, in obscenity and in deliberate fomentation of com /munal hatred the Press of any other Province in India, It is @ reproach to the Trovinee that we should tolerate: such a Pross. Tt is a proach to our civilization and a re proach to our good mame."
Continuing, Mr, Craik said that, under the present law, the. Govern= ment could deal with the Press im two. ways, neither of which was effective. 'They could prescribe offensive article, but, by the time that the forfeiture order'was given, the paper already' had' been sold, The second way to deal with the Press was to prosecute the printer and the editor. This procedure, besides being lengthy, gave unusual Publicity to the.offending - article, which, if read by 50 people in the first instance, would now be read by 5,090... Concluding a powerful
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.