HEADLINE OF STORY: PRESSES PRINTING MAGAZINE: COPIES: PAGE HEADLINES STORY: COPIES TAKEN OFF CONVEYOR BELT: MAGAZINES DESPATCHED.




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Background: THE WEST GERMANY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE "DER STERN" WILL PUBLISH THE FULL SERIALISED VERSION OF WILLIAM MANCHESTER'S CONTROVERSIAL BOOK - "DEATH OF A PRESIDENT". THIS WAS ANNOUNCED IN HAMBURG OVER A WEEK AGO, AND WAS CONFIRMED YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) BY THE MAGAZINE'S PUBLISHER, HENRI NANNAN.

IN A TELEVISION INTERVIEW SCREENED IN NEW YORK ON FRIDAY NIGHT, HERR NANNAN MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WOULD BE PUBLISHING THE UNCUT SERIALISED VERSION OF THE BOOK DESPITE THE RECENT AGREEMENT BY "LOOK" MAGAZINE TO MAKE CUTS REQUESTED BY MRS JACQUELINE KENNEDY. HE SAID HE HAD BROUGHT THE GERMAN LANGUAGE PRINTING RIGHTS FOR THE BOOK ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY FOR 72,500 DOLLARS (ABOUT GBP25,000 STERLING) IN A CONTRACT WITH THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE.

HERR NANNAN SAID THE CUTS WERE DEMANDED FOR POLITICAL REASONS SINCE CERTAIN PASSAGES REFLECTED ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE KENNEDY FAMILY AND PRESIDENT JOHNSON. HE SAID: "I THINK WE OWE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR READERS TO PRINT THE TRUTH UNCENSORED BY ANYONE".

MRS KENNEDY, WHO COMMISSIONED THE AUTHOR TO WRITE THE STORY OF HER HUSBAND'S DEATH, OBJECTED TO CERTAIN PARTS OF THE MANUSCRIPT WHICH, SHE SAID, INVADED HER PRIVACY. SHE TOOK COURT ACTION TO RESTRAIN "LOOK" MAGAZINE AND THE BOOK'S PUBLISHERS, HARPER AND ROW, FROM PROCEEDING UNLESS ABRIDGEMENTS WERE MADE.

THE PRINTING HOUSE OF "DER STERN", AT ITZEHOE, NEAR HAMBURG, WAS YESTERDAY GOING AHEAD WITH THE FIRST INSTALMENT OF THE SERIAL, DUE FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST GERMANY WITHIN TWO WEEKS.