Brezhnev back in public to accept Lenin Prize

Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev, whose absence from the public eye since March 4 sparked speculation about his health, appreared in improved form Monday as he accepted the Lenin Prize in the Kremlin for his recently published memoirs. Monitor correspondent David K. Willis notes he spoke for 13 minutes.

Western diplomats also noted that Premier Alexei N. Kosygin, who attended the ceremony, looked grim and drawn. Mr. Kosygin has not been seen since March 11.