May Day Celebrations Round The World

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27339, 3 May 1954, Page 9

May Day Celebrations Round The World

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON,/ May 1. One big jet-bomber and 13 new types of twin-jet, sweptwing fighters, all making their first public appearance, whistled over the May Day parade of Russian military might in Moscow today. Mr Malenkov and other Government leaders watched the jets hurtle overhead in a spectacular formation flight —the prelude to a four-hour march past of troops and workers. Foreign observers said they could not identify new aircraft which were among 175 planes in’the fly past. Two million workers, carrying banners and portraits of Lenin, Stalin, and Government - leaders, marched across Red Square. In spite of the display of new aircraft the accent was on civilians rather than military. The Army’s display took 23 minutes. The Soviet Defence Minister, Marshall Bulganin, said in his ’ address that the Soviet Government’s main task was to prevent a new war and maintain normal relations among all countries. “In foreign policy it is the glorious task of our Government not to permit a new war. Today iS *the day

of brotherhood of all people when workers demonstrate against imperialism and are determined to secure peace and security in the world. Our people are rallied even more closely round the party and the Government We must remember the words of Lenin and Stalin to be always on our guard to secure our defences and to protect our armed forces. _“At present our forces are equipped with up-to-date weapons and are the bulwark of the people in the defence of peace.” Delegations from Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Denmark, and Finland were among foreign parties who watched the parade of soldiers, sailors, and airmen. In the parade for the first time were rocket-guns. In Japan More than 1,000,000 people screamed slogans against the United States hydrogen bomb tests and Japanese rearmament in Japan’s biggest and noisiest post-war May Day in Tokyo today. • Except for minor scuffles there were no clashes and no bloodshed at any of the 200 rallies in Japan. United States troops and their families stayed indoors to avoid any [repetition of riots, in which

American cars were burned and American-occupied buildings stoned. in Rome, city transport, including taxis, was at a standstill and railwaymen in the Communist-controlled General Confederation of Labour delayed train departures for 10 minutes in protest against the Government’s refusal to allow State-owned buildings to be used for May Day activities. It was a national holiday in Italy and tens of thousands of Italians flocked to rallies organiseed by rival trade unions.

In Belgrade, Marshal Tito and Jugoslav military leaders reviewed a parade of Army units. Thousands of people in Revolution Boulevard greeted Marshal Tito with crjes: “We are Tito’s and Tito is ours."