European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bush gives full recognition to All three Baltic nations Kennebunkport Maine a president Bush on monday granted full diplomatic status to the Baltic states of Lithuania Latvia and Estonia formally recognizing the Independence of nations that were annexed by the soviet Union As the result of a 1939 Deal with nazi Germany. Bush made the expected announcement after waiting in vain for soviet lawmakers to do the same. Nonetheless he hailed the Pace of change in Moscow and offered Strong Praise for soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev. A the fact that i think he s done an awful lot for the world is out there for All to see Quot said Bush. He said of the collapse of soviet communism a i think history will write this month Down As one of the most important turning Points toward a genuine new world order and certainly a turning Point toward Freedom and democracy. It s been  Bush was asked if there needed to be a Central government at All and he said "1 think there s got to be some government with which the United state s works on Many questions Quot such As nuclear defense and Middle East diplomacy. Even so he indicated he Wasny to ready to push for a shift of . Funds from military spending to foreign Aid for the emerging soviet republics. A a i think we be got to guard against the Siren Call of defense cuts. I m not going to Cut into the muscle of defense of this country so Long As nuclear weapons Are pointed at the United slates. Bush s labor Day news conference crime on the final Day of his summer vacation. He concluded a Send of press conference nine Quot of his vacation a not in see Baltic on Page 2gorbachev, 7 0 leaders seek restructure Moscow apr Mikhail s. Gorbachev and leaders of 10 soviet republics closed ranks against hardliners monday and proposed replacing the current ruling Structure with a new government giving the republics far More Power. The proposal apparently would Grant Independence to the five republics that did not endorse it a the three Baltic states Moldavia and Georgia a although that Issue has not been fully resolved. On sunday Gorbachev promised Independence to the Baltic but he did not specify whether he Hassee related stories on pages 3 and 4 dropped his insistence that they follow the Complex constitutional process for secession a which could take years and involve billions in compensation for soviet investments. An interim soviet government consisting of three councils would strip the Central soviet government of most functions beyond defense and foreign affairs. Kazakhstan president Nur Sultan Naza Bayev read the proposal at the opening of an extraordinary session of the Congress of Peoples deputies. After a 3/2-hour break the Congress reconvened and leaders of delegations of the five major republics a the russian federation the Ukraine byelorussian kazakh and uzbek a said they supported the proposal. The delegates voted 1,350-107 to put the question on the Agenda moving it closer toward passage. Even representatives of the republics of Georgia and Moldavia supported the proposal provided their Independence was recognized. Hard liners at the session had planned an attempt to vote Gorbachev out of the soviet presidency. Instead Gorbachev and 10 Republic leaders staged a pc Emp see leaders on Page 2 soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev right looks uneasy while russian president Boris Yeltsin smiles As the two leaders attend the opening of the Congress of Peoples deputies monday in Moscow. Sex Wall guard says he shot at by Kevin Costelloe the associated press Berlin a one of four former East German Border guards on trial for manslaughter admitted monday that he shot at two Young men who tried to Cross the Berlin Wall in 1989. Andreas Kuehnast was the first of the Border guards to testify about his role in the feb. 5, 1989, shooting of Chris Guffroy a 20-year-old waiter who died trying to reach West Berlin. Guffroy died at the scene a companion. Christian Gaudian was wounded. The 27-year-old Kuehnast who at times appeared near tears told the court he heard an alarm go off that night and ran with other soldiers toward Gueffroy and his companion. Kuehnast said he heard another guard shoot and then began firing his own Kalashnikov Rifle but that he aimed just to the Side of the two would he escapees. The guard also described How Guffroy and his companion were dragged away alter being shot "1 was shocked. I really did no to know what to do a he said. Under questioning by chief judge Theodor Seidel,2 trying to flee Kuehnast acknowledged he got a three or four Days vacation and 150 East German Marks a then Worth about $25 a for stopping the attempted escape. Guffroy who died nine months before the Wall Tell was the last person known to have died trying to flee Over the Wall. He was among about 200 fast germans killed trying to escape since the Wall a my other Lorli fictions sealed off East Germany in Gulf Troy smother Karin Guffroy is a co prosecutor in the Case under a Standard provision of the German Law. She briefly held her head in her hands see guard on Page 2