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Thursday afternoon we went to a refuge camp to observe the living con-
ditions of some of the really unfortunate ones- those who cannot work
(as injured veterans, or old people) or cannot find work, and those not
granted full refugee status in the hearings (who must therefore just
remain in such camps indefinitely). They live in dreary old barracks,
converted to this use from old munitions warehouses etc. They usually
have very little income, have little hope, and the life is pretty de-
pressing- small two room apartments with beds and furniture crowded
(and I mean crammed) into the tiny space- often families of six or more
in this small space. This is just one more hazard of becoming a refugee.
The situation has to be pretty unbearable in the east some for people to
risk such a future.

On friday morning we were free to do as we wished. So I went into the east
Berlin to walk around. Went to several book stores but has no luck in
buying anything yet. There are controls on speeding the east German
currency and I am still locking for a store that will overlook these.
It is easy to buy propaganda material or history, or art of the communist
countries, but as for eneral books to an exhibit in an east Berlin museum-
part of "Fifteen Years of Freedom in Hungary" and part on the history of
The fight of the German communist party against Nazism and Imperialism".
Very artifully, displayed, large blown-up photographs etc with of course,
some propaganda slant on the historical events. It is fascinating here
in Berlin to see and hear the competing propaganda efforts of both east
and west. Lots of important issues have been sharpened or clarified in
such a atmosphere, though I think if you stayed here too long you would
gradually be shifted over to a hard pro-western line- most of the officlas
(ecen Americans) we have heard have done so.

Yesterday afternoon we had a rather ordinary reception by an official of
the west German gov't- coffee, speeches, etc. Then last night's social
gathering with the students of the free university of Berlin- lots of talk,
movies etc.

May 1, 1960
Well today was May day in Berlin! So long awaited both by us visitors from
Stanford and by the people of east and west Berlin.

We began by taking a train (an intercity rapid system. There are two, one
underground and with more stops and one above with fewer stops, thus faster)
to the Marz-Engels Platz in the east sector, the site of their huge
parade-rally. We arrived just at the 9AM starting time and couldn't get
within a couple of blocks of the square because of the number of people and
some blocked off streets. The initial feeling when we got off the train was
that of a big football game or parade- huge crowds, band music in the dis-
stance, various groups forming to march, a sense of excitement and carnival
like activity in the air. In each of this many side streets lending toward
the square were a block or two of groups preparing to march in the parade-
this accounted for about 3/4's of the people since almost everyone was
marching is almost some group or other. (if not regimented, East Berlin
in certainly well organized!). The first part of the parade was the actual
military part-marching units of soldiers and sailors carrying tommy guns
or rifles, and even doing the goose step. After the armies came the weapons,
tanks, big cannon, anti-aircraft, troop carrier trucks etc. Unfortunately