BOTH MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS IN EAST AND WEST BERLIN.




Initials JRG/V/BHH/OS



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Background: CONTRASTING CELEBRATIONS MARKED MAY DAY IN EAST AND WEST BERLIN - IN EAST BERLIN ON MARX-ENGELS SQUARE, HERR ULBRICHT REVIEWED A MILITARY PARADE WHILE IN WEST BERLIN, ON REPUBLIC SQUARE, SPEECHES WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY, - BY PRESIDENT LUEBKE AND MAYOR WILLY BRANDT.

OFFICERS AND CADETS OF EAST GERMAN MILITARY SCHOOLS PARADED FIRST IN EAST BERLIN. MECHANISED TROOPS AND MISSILES FOLLOWED AND AFTERWARDS THE PEOPLE OF EAST BERLIN JOINED IN, MARCHING AROUND THE SQUARE.

HERR ULBRICHT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE AND MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE DEFENCE MINISTER GENERAL HOFFMANN, WHO TOOK THE SALUTE FROM A CAR.

PARATROOPS AND AIRBORNE SOLDIERS WITH JEEPS PRECEEDED ANTI-TANK GUNS WITH INFRARED SEARCHLIGHTS, THEN CAME TANKS WITH TWIN ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, ARTILLERY, AMPHIBIOUS TANKS AND T54S, MISSILES ON SELF-PROPELLED CARRIERS, ANTI-TANK ROCKETS ON JEEPS, AND TACTICAL MISSILES ON FULL-TRACKED SELF-PROPELLED LAUNCHING TANKS.

ONE OF THE SPEAKERS, POLITBURO MEMBER PAUL VERNER DESCRIBED PRESIDENT LUEBKE AS THE WORST ENEMY OF THE WORKERS. HERR LUEBKE ONLY HALF A MILE AWAY (LESS THAN A KILOMETRE) HEADED A RALLY OF 300,000 CITIZENS IN FRONT OF THE REICHSTAG BUILDING.

IN A SPEECH, MAYOR BRANDT SAID EAST GERMANY SHOULD END THE ORDER TO SHOOT AT REFUGEES TRYING TO CROSS THE BERLIN WALL.