CELEBRATIONS IN GERMANY

Chronicle (Levin), 3 May 1948, Page 5

CELEBRATIONS IN GERMANY

Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Alav 1. Reuter 's Berlin correspondent says, carrying Red flags and banners attaeking "the Splitters of Germany, ' ' columns of men, women, and children from all sectors of Berlin, niarelte'd to Lustgarten SqUare in the Soviet hector to celpbrate May Day. Pro-Soviet speakers called for the unity of German.v, Half the marchers were children under fonrteen.Several hundred people g'athered otftside tlie ruined Reichstag building for a rival assenibly organised by the pro-West trade union elements and Social Demoerat Party. The Russian propaganda chief in Germany^ Colonel Sergei Tnlpanov, devoted a full page special in the Alay Day edition of the Red Army newspaper Taeglsche Rdndschau, to charge that the Western Powers were using their 2ones in Germany as tlie assenibly point for preparing war against Russia.. Henry Rutz, American Federation of Labour representative, received the loudest applause at the Reichstag Alay Day meeting when he assured the Germans that the Western Powers did noi intend leaving Berlin. He added thai the Western Powers desired unity but not 'on Russian terms which meant ' ' dictatorship and Moseow domination. ' ' The Russians gave free beer to the demonstrators and sweets to the children at Lustgarten. The Associate'd Press Hambnrg correspondent says the ceiebrations in the British Zone pasesd quietly. In Trieste 200 youtlis attacked tne Communist Party headquarters after the Commnnists had allegedly thrown acid at tliem. Tlie poiice made a number of arresta after clashes between j the parties celebrating May Day. Briti'sh trained poiice touring " thev city in jeeps, were kept busy separating the lighting gangs. The Czechoslovak Premier, AJr. Gottwald, addressing half a million people at Prague, said the elections on Afay 30, would be without "any kind of pressure or frand such as was seen in countries which would like to give us lessons on democracy. " . 11 The Paris Alay Day crowds had a restricted underground . service ' and no taxis, as the result of strikes by train drivers belonging to the autonomous non-Gommunist union, and by taxidrivers, both foivincreased pay. Alembers of the Communist controlled Fede ratioft of Labour, who opposed tlie. strike action, especiaily on Alay Day, operated a restricted train ' service, Buses were unable fully to relieve the pressure 'of traffie. French poiice arid Alay Day demonstrators eafne to blows in Toulon. Severftl woi'kers were injured in Brussels, The CommUnists and h'ociaiists, for the first time, held separate -demonstrations.