Evening star., 1946-09-29
Greek King Entrusts
TsaIdaris With Job
OF Forming Regime
BY the Assorioted Press

ef me Associoted Press
ATHENS, Sept. %. - King
George II tonight entrusted Pre-.
mier Constantin Tsaldaris with
the task Of forming a new Greek
government a few hours after
the exiled monarch returned te
the capital of his strife torn ma
tive. land and Immediately
turned his attention to govern
mental problems.
The King, returning after five
years of exile, stepped on a quay
carpeted with olive branches in
tended as a symbol of his hopes
of binding up Greece's wounds and
was received by an outwardly
tumultuouS welcome from thou
sands of Greeks shouting Long
live the King" and Greater Greece.
The King went into a political
conference almost Immediately, re-
ceived Mr.. Tsaldaris' resignation as
Premier of the alist-dominated
government and then appointed him
to head the new regime. Mr.. TSal-
darlS announced he would call on
the leaders Of the opposition par
ties in Parliament for consultation
on the formation of the new gov
ernmSlt. Extreme Leftists will not
be invited, however.
King Desires Unity.
III an address prepared for de-
livery on the Athens radio tonight.
the King said my sole desire is
to see the nation united" He de-
scribed Greece as being the trou-
bled crossroads of three continents, ="
interpreted to mean Europe, Asia
and Africa.
The Communist press greeted the
Kings return with stony indiffer-
ence, playing down the story and
referring to him only as George"
He arrived at a quay in Phaleron
Bay on a royal launch after spend
ing last night on the destroyer
Miaoulis. He was greeted by the
entire Greek cabinet, headed by Mr..
Tsaldaris as artillery salutes doomed
from the hills.
The usually auStere monarch, at
tired in full battle dress, waved an
acknowledgement and smiles as a
loo n
through streets jammed on both
sides with enthusiastic onlookers.
He sat in an open car with his
brother, Crown Prince Paul and
Princess Fredrika The day was
bright and sunny and in the clear
skies above the ancient city fighters
and bombers roared in formation.
First Stop is Cathedral.
The first stop in the four mile
procession from Phaleron Bay was
at Athens Cathedral. where Arch
bishop Damaskinos celebrated a te
deum mass.
Then the procession moved to the
tomb of the unknown soldier. While
the crowd cheered and almost broke
through police lines, the king laid
simple wreath of laurel on the
resting place of the unknown hero.
A few minutes later the king ap-
peared on the balcony of the Par
lament building - the old royal
palace
His appearance was the signal for
parades of various groups and or
ganizations, with perhaps the most
colorful of them all the royalist
Cretans, who wore blue -pleated
boomers, black scarves tied around
their heads and gold -hilted daggers
at their waists. For more than an
hour after the King appeared on
the balcony the giant crowd milled
around Constitution Square, shout
ing.
Crowds Gathered at Dawn.
The crowds had begun to gather
along the route from Phaleron Bay
at dawn. Police and gendarmerie
took up their positions as part of
the elaborate precautions taken to
safeguard the King.
He had spent the night in Salamis
Bay aboard the Miaoulis, after ar
irving last night from London at
Elevsis Airport u miles from Athens.
Present at the te deum service
were three opposition leaders to the
present royalist-dominated govern
ment - former Premiers George
Papandreou. Sophocles Venizelos
and Panayotis Kanellopoulos.
1t was believed that Mr.. Kanel-
lopouloS and Mr.. Venizelos might
take part in the new government, as
well as Themistokles Sophoulis, ven
cradle Liberal leader who controls
the second largest group in the
Greek parliament.