European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday May 20, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3memorial Day ceremonies in Europe memorial Day observances will be held at cemeteries in Belgium England France Italy Luxembourg and the Netherlands during the last week of May with most occurring next sunday. Sponsoring Many of the ceremonies is the american Battle monuments commission a Small Independent Agency of the executive Branch of the . Government. The commission is responsible Lor commemorating the services of the american armed forces where they have served since april 6, 1917, which marked the United states entry into world War i. The commission operates and maintains on foreign soil 24 permanent american military cemeteries and 15 separate  in the overseas cemeteries Are at least 124,912 . War dead. Francs alone Marne cemetery May 24 1100 near Belleau Brittany cemetery May 24 16 30 St. James Lepinat cemetery May 24 15 00 final Louamie cemetery May 24 11 00 St avoid Meuse Argonne cemetery my 24 15 00 Romagne sous Mon Faucon normally Ceremy May 24 10 00 East of Oise Aisne cemetery May 24 16 00 of i  i to i fire in Lardenois Rhone cemetery May 24 10 00 a Raguinan St Mihiel cemetery May 24 11 00 Thi Aucourt Somme cemetery May 24 15 00 Bony sur Esnes cemetery May 24 14 30 parrs Lafayette is Cadrin e May 24 16 15 pans arc de Trio Mph May 24 12 15 pans american Church May 24 11 00 pans Belgium ardennes cemetery May 23 1000 net pm Flanders i held cemetery May 24 15 00 War elem Henri Chapelle cemetery May 23 16 00 menu Chapel in England Brook Wood cemetery May 24 15 30 Brookwood. Suneva Luxembourg Luxembourg cemetery May 30 10 00 1 Luxem pout City tha motherland Netherlands cemetery May 24 15 00 Marq Raten Italy Florence cemetery May 25 11 00 Between Imp Neta Nettuno cemetery May 25 11 00 and Tav Armi be Nettuno source the american Battle monuments commissions amp russian plans to Aid soldiers improve arms Moscow apr russians new defense minister said tuesday that his first orders of business will be to improve the lives of russian soldiers and to rearm military forces with new a super accurate weapons. Gen. Pavel Grachev the first Deputy commander of the Commonwealth of Independent states armed forces was appointed to the Post monday by president Boris n. Yeltsin. In an interview with the newspaper Moscow Komsi molets on tuesday Grachev said russian armed forces were left practically weapon less following the breakup of the former soviet Union. He said most of the weapons remained in the former republics of Ukraine and Belarus which have created their own armies. A a we la build our weapons on new principles a he said. A they will be super accurate  strategic weapons he said will remain under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Independent states. A Russia has no claims on those functions a he told the newspaper. Grachev 41, a highly decorated Veteran of the War in Afghanistan and a former National paratroop commander will be in charge of the new Independent russian army created by Yeltsin earlier this month. During the failed August coup Grachev defied orders by then defense minister Dmitry Yazoo to storm the russian parliament building where Yeltsin and his supporters made their stand against the coup plotters. A there Are too Many people there. There will be bloodshed a Grachev was quoted As saying when soviet troops surrounded the building known As the White House. Grachev said the welfare of soldiers must be improved including finding housing for officers and their families. Defense ministry officials say that More than 200,000 officers currently do not have permanent housing and the figure might grow to 300,000 Over the next three years due to the withdrawal of units under russian jurisdiction from other countries. Yeltsin signed the decree creating a separate rus Sian army after Ukraine declared unilateral control Over the Black sea Fleet and after it became evident that most former soviet republics would also form their own forces. Grachev said Russia would not resort to military Force to gain control of the Fleet. A i do not think that a military conflict is feasible it is not in the interests of either Ukraine or Russia a he said. A the Black sea problem will be decided Only by Way of lengthy negotiations the political  Grachev said he would reduce army personnel to about 1.5 million people within the next two to three years. A we will gradually change from the mixed contractual and draft basis to make a transition to a fully professional army a he told Moscow Komoso cts. The former soviet military had about 3.7 million service members mostly draftees. The new russian military will include All former soviet troops and weapons currently being withdrawn in stages from Germany Poland the Baltic Mongolia the caucasus and  building unions win 5.8 percent raise Bonn Germany up a unions and management tuesday agreed on a 5.8 percent pay increase for construction workers signalling an end to the bitter disputes that marked this years rounds of pay bargaining. The parties to the wage negotiations agreed to a settlement suggested by a mediator which will give the 1.5 million construction Industry workers a 5.8 percent increase Over 12 months. The Deal followed hard on the heels of mondays last ditch Compromise Between the powerful in metall Union and management which will give the Metal engineering sector a 5.8 percent increase Over the next 12 months and a 4.4 percent raise for the following nine months. Metal Industry employers said the Deal was Worth 4.8 percent Over the whole 21-month period. There Are about 4 million workers in the key Metal engineering sector. Similar agreements were expected in the chemical and print Industry virtually closing the 1992 rounds of pay bargaining which were the most bitter and Mili Tant in years. Employers cautiously welcomed the agreements expressing Relief that the psychological 6 percent Barrier had not been broken and that economically crippling strikes in the private sector had been averted. But a number of industrialists said their initial Hopes for agreements at lower Levels had been dashed when the government gave Public sector workers increases above the 5 percent Mark it had pledged not to pass. Giving in to the pressure after an 11-Day strike the government employers offered a 5.4 percent pay increase for the 2.3 million Public sector workers on May 7. Helmut Geiger president of the spar Kasse savings Banks said the wage pact in the Metal engineering sector will complicate the task of lowering the inflation rate a currently about 4.5 percent. In a newspaper interview he said the wage increases will Force major firms to improve efficiency and Lay off  kurd turnout Large in first democratic vote Salahudin Iraq a iraqi kurd turned out in Large numbers tuesday for their first democratic election As Western planes flew overhead to provide Security for the vote a declared illegal by iraqi president Saddam Hussein. An estimated 1.2 million of iraqis 3.5 million kurd were eligible to vote for a 105-member iraqi Kurdistan National Assembly and a a single Leader for the kurdish struggle with presidential Powers. Saddam fearing that the Kuril would ultimately try to break away from Iraq has declared the election illegal. But no iraqi harassment has been reported thus far at the Borders of the kurdish held zone in the Northern part of the country. Maj. Mack Mclaurin a spokesman for the . European c omd in Stuttgart said tuesday that . Planes routinely Fly reconnaissance missions Over Northern Iraq. He referred All questions regarding the kurdish elections to the state department. Jets from the .-led coalition Force based in Turkey established last year to provide Security for Iraq s kurd flew Over the area twice drawing cheers from the kurd below. Although two other candidates were on the ballot voters were expected to elect either Massud Barzani or Jalal Talaban As their a single  both men say the vote will not Lead to kurdish Independence but they differ on the aim of the kurdish struggle and relations with Baghdad. Representatives from several Western countries and International organizations were observing the vote. As music from loudspeakers provided a festive atmosphere kurd formed Long lines at polling stations. A we Are All very Happy because by voting we Are laying claim to our country Quot said Hini Osman hallo a Young kurdish woman