WHILE WORLD ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON BERLIN AND THE TENSE BORDER SITUATION AT FRIEDRICHSTRASSE, CONSIDERABLE ACTIVITY HAS RECENTLY BEEN TAKING PLACE ALONG EAST GERMANY'S BORDER WITH THE GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC: EAST GERMAN FAMILIES HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM HOUSES WITHIN 3 MILES OF THE BORDER, FRONTIER GUARDS HAVE BEEN REINFORCED, AND BORDER DEFENCES HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED.

FILM SHOWS BRITISH TROOPS ON ROUTINE EXERCISES AT RATZEBURG OCT 27 AS NEARBY, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER, EAST GERMAN PEOPLE'S POLICE ARE ASSISTED BY SOLDIERS AND MEMBERS OF THE 'FREE GERMAN' YOUTH MOVEMENT (FDJ) AS THEY ERECT NEW BARBED WIRE FENCES, AND ELECTRIFIED WIRES WITH ALARM BELLS.

THE EVACUATION OF PEOPLE LIVING NEAR THE FRONTIER IS SAID TO BE DUE TO THE FEAR OF THE EAST GERMAN REGIME THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL TRY TO ESCAPE DIRECT INTO WESTERN GERMANY, NOW THAT WEST BERLIN HAS BEEN SEALED OFF.

ON OCT 28 IT WAS REPORTED THAT, DESPITE SOVIET PROTESTS AGAINST FLYING OVER EAST BERLIN, THE UNITED STATES SENT AT LEAST TWO AIR FORCE TRANSPORT PLANES OVER THE EASTERN SECTOR. THIS ACTION CAME SOON AFTER THE WITHDRAWAL OF BOTH RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN TANKS FROM THE FRIEDRICHSTRASSE BORDER IN MID-BERLIN.