European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ceremony Marks 1 year anniversary of chemical removal tuesday september 3, 1991 x Quot the stars and stripes Page 3 by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Clausen Germany a a Large Stone Cross inscribed with a Frieden 1990�?� a peace a was dedicated on sunday near the former . Army ammunition depot at Clausen Germany. The ceremony marked the first anniversary of the removal of approximately q0,000 artillery she0silledlwith deadly nerve agents. The shells had been stored at the depot for almost 30 years. Nearly 300 people including Rudi Geil former minister of the Interior for Rheinland Pfalz during the chemical withdrawal attended the ceremony just outside the depots Gate. Tables and benches filled an area along the Forest Road leading into the depot and  Public address system was tied in the Trees. The . Army and German army police and Railroad officials moved the shells last year from Clausen to the seaport at no Denham without incident or injury. The final shells left Clausen on sept. 1, 1990. From no Denham the shells were taken to the Johnston atoll in the Pacific Ocean where they were to be destroyed. The 90-minute ceremony was con ducted by chaplain it. Col Paul Bolton the Pir Masen military Community chaplain and two German priests Franz Georg Kast and Clausen s Karl Lickteig. Only a few americans joined the ceremony in the Forest. Many of the american soldiers who took part in last years operation have already been assigned elsewhere said Warren j. Field a spokesman for the . Clausen was returned to the germans soon after the removal of the shells. One Soldier who did attend said he Learned of the ceremony just hours before it began. Capt. Lewis Davis of the 59th Ord brigade the unit responsible for protecting and moving the weapons was on the planning team last year. A i worked closely with our German counterparts in the bund swear a said Davis. A was you can see things military tensions Are winding Down now that the chemicals Are  Geil shared Davis View that the chemical withdrawal May be the beginning of lessening military tensions. A i Hope last year was a beginning a Geil said of the chemical weapons removal. A i Hope president Bush and the soviet Union will Start life without , chinese Leader see need for More dialogue exchanges. A amps Peggy Davidson Franz Georji Kast a German priest conducts the dedication ceremony sunday at Clausen Germany. The ceremony marked the first anniversary of the removal of chemical weapons from the town. Beijing apr British prime minister John major on monday became the first Western european Leader in More than two years to visit China now the worlds largest major communist nation. He was welcomed by Premier i Peng at a ceremony monday evening outside the great Hall of the people. After a 19-gun Salute the two leaders reviewed an Honor guard. They then held Brief talks during which both i and major talked of the need for dialogue and exchanges. A we live in a changing world in which events Are moving very rapidly very speedily and sometimes in the most unexpected Way a said major. A i think that argues very strongly for the closest possible  i gave a banquet immediately after the talks. Major arrived monday afternoon from the soviet Union which has taken a series of rapid fire Steps to shed its communist system of government. The purpose of majors visit is to sign an agreement on a new Airport for Hong Kong. But International human rights groups have criticized the trip saying it bolsters the International image of China a authoritarian government. In Moscow major offered the soviets modest economic Aid and pressed for Concrete Market oriented reforms. Such reforms have stalled in China since 1989, when the government crushed massive pro democracy protests. Last month japanese prime minister Toshiki Kaifu visited Beijing and normalized his country s relations with China a significant step in ending Beijing a isolation from the West. Majors visit is even More significant because Britain and other Western nations have made human rights a major Issue in relations with China. But Britain has said majors visit will not signal a normalization of relations because some european Community sanctions imposed after the 1989 crackdown remain in effect. However the trip does signal Britain s intention to cooperate with China on Hong Kong issues. The British Crown Colony reverts Back to chinese Rule in 1997. Majors visit was part of a Deal worked out by British and chinese officials in july after nearly two years of disagreement Over a $lb.2 billion Airport and port project for Hong Kong. Beijing has used the dispute Over the project to increase its control in Hong Kong ahead of the official 1997 changeover. Major and i were to sign an agreement on the air British prime minister John major is greeted in China with Flowers and a smile. Port and port project today. The Accord gives China the right to he consulted extensively on each step of the Airport project and any other major undertaking he great Britain. A sunday report by the Hong Kong daily South China morning Post said a new dispute has Arisen Over an Airport consultative committee with Beijing wanting a larger committee with More High profile and pro Beijing  reportedly will be offered Asylum in Spain Madrid Spain apr the head of Galicia a regional government plans to offer Fidel Castro Asylum in Spain during a visit to Cuba later this month a daily said monday. The conservative National daily Abc citing informed sources said galician Leader Manuel Fraga hoped to persuade the hard line cuban Leader to retire to the Northwestern Spanish Region where c astros father was born. C Astro s lather was Horn in a town in the galician province of Lugo and his mothers parents were also galician. He still has family in the Region. The collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the soviet communist party have left c Astro politically and economically isolated internationally. Fraga reportedly believes c astros exit Vamp build further the cause of cuban democracy. Galician government officials confirmed that Fraga a former minister in the right Wing Franco government and former conservative opposition Leader would probably meet with Castro during a sept. 23-29 visit to the c Caribbean Island nation. I hey issued a Flat a no comments on the abcs report refusing to deny its contents. A Spanish advocate of human rights in c Uba said she was surprised by the report. But she added that getting Fidel and his brother Raul to leave Cuba would greatly help an eventual transition to democracy. I he Abc article said i Raga a initiative needs approval from the government of socialist prime minister Felipe Gonzalez who has maintained warm personal ties with Castro despite recent  and Downin bilateral relations. Gonzalez reportedly asked c Astro to ease Cuba toward democracy during a lace to lace meeting at the july Ibero american Summit in Mexico. Martinez said she was surprised that Fraga. A devout conservative Anil Strong supporter of Auli Astro uban exiles was visiting Uba Al All. But galician officials said the visit was simply the  est to countries with Large galician communities