Special to The New York Times

HAVANA, April 17 - President Fulgencio Batista and his Cabinet approved today decrees imposing drastic penalties for those criticizing or opposing the regime.

At the same time all emergency employees, including officials, of the public service companies were incorporated into the armed forces, subject to a call for active duty.

The decrees were approved under the “state of national emergency” proclaimed by congress recently to meet the threat of “total war” by Fidel Castro, rebel leader. The Castro insurgents have been fighting Government troops in the eastern Province of Oriente since Dec. 2, 1956.

Constitutional guarantees have been suspended and censorship is in effect on press and radio.

 If the President calls up public service employees, they will continue normal work but will be “immediately subjected to military jurisdiction,” the Governmant said.

Incorporation of the Public service employees into the armed forces is a measure designed to prevent any further attempts of youthful revolutionists to provoke a general strike.

The strike, called April 9, was to have been an all-out effort of Señor Castro and his followers to overthrow General Batista. It failed because of swift action by the armed forces and the reluctance of the labor and the general public to support the movement. Reports have circulated that another attempt might be made to call a revolutionary strike, and the Government is taking every precaution to prevent this.

While the text of the decree restricting criticism of the Government has not yet been made available, it seems to be similar to, although perhaps more severe that, the restrictions applied by President Batista in1953. He crushed a revolt them from which Señor Castro’s 26th of July Movement takes its name.

Jail sentences and fines were established in the decree for individuals and companies for a long list of offences. These include the diffusion of  “false news or any information which might lessen the stability of the powers of the state, the economy, the public finances, the credit of the nation or the Government, the banking credit, the value of its currency or securities issued by the state or its institutions of credit.”

An offending publication will be closed for three months and fined from $500 to $5,000, according to the official statement.
The penal code was modified, the Government said, to impose more severe penalties on persons provoking public disorders or carrying out sabotage.

In another measure, taxes were lifted on bus companies throughout Cuba. Transit services have suffered heavily from attacks and sabotage by the rebels, particularly in the provinces of Camaguey and Oriente. Señor Castro has his stronghold in the Sierra Maestra of Oriente.

Also, President Batista extended the period for exemption of taxed on moving picture theaters, which has been in effect several months. The theaters have been targets in terrorist bombings.