Evening star., 1947-09-05
Sophoulis Expected
To Join in Broadening
Greek Cabinet Today
His Conference With
Tsofdoris Will Temper
Long Political Feud
By the Asxociafed Presa

ATHENS, Sept. 5.-Politicians
forecast today that Themistocles
Sophoulis, 86, Liberal Party lead
er, would form a broadened
Greek government, possibly dur
ing the day, with the Populist
(Royalist) Party which Premier
ConStantin Tsaldaris heads.
This would temper political teud
between the two parties which has
disturbed Greek politics for 81 years.
The current government is all
Populist and Rightist.
Mr.. Sophoulis and Mr.. Tsaldaris
scheduled meeting for today to
complete final details of the re-
ported agreement for a wider gov
ernment such as the United States,
currently distributing $500, ,000, 900 In
aid to Greece, has urged.
Repulse of Guerrillas Claimed.
The agreement was said to give
the controversial portfolio of public
order, held until recently by Gen.
Napoleon Zervas, and the justice
ministry to the Liberal Party. Mr..
Sophoulis had demanded the posts
to implement his policy against the
guerrillas.
Mr.. Tsaldaris and the Populists
would get the ministry of foreign
affairs, vice premiership and prob
ably the ministry of war.
Guerrilla fighting, which had be-
set Greece during the occupation
and since the Germans retreated,
continued with government forces
claiming two decisive victories in the
last "a hours. The engagements were
in the Mount Grammos area near
the Albanian frontier, where 10
rebels were reported killed, and near
the Bulgarian border north of
Drama, where another 100 were said
to have been slain. CA United Ma
tions commission reported that
Guerrilla warfare in Northern
Greece was aided and abetted by
Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia)
Minor Parties May Get Posts.
Not since the Liberal Party was
formed in 1910 by Eletheros Ven
izelos as a republican opposition
group to the monarchy has it joined
in a coalition Greek government
with the Populists, supporters of
the royal house.
The reported agreement took no
consideration of minor political
parties as bargaining units, but it
was expected that some would be
included in the cabinet.
10y Henderson, chief of the State
Department division Of Near East
affairs, and Ambassador Lincoln
MacVeagh had insisted that the
solution be completed by tomorrow.
Mr.. Henderson will leave Sunday.
Comfortable Majority.
A Liberal-Populist union would
command comfortable majority in
Parliament, since all minor parties
already have agreed with the basic
policy which the big two is expected
to announce. All agreed that the
new government would be anti
Communist" =,
Their reported compromise fol-
lowed Parliament's postponement OF
vote of confidence on MIR. Tsalda-
ris' one-party rightist government,
formed a week ago yesterday.
This vote on Mr.. Sophoulis' mo-
ton, set for last night, was put of
until tomorrow. Premier Tsaldaris
cabinet had faced defeat in the test.
His Populists have only 141 OF
Parliament's 354 seats, and even
with the presumed support of Gen.
Zervas' Is Nationalists, could not
have mustered a majority. Mr..
Sophoulis' Liberals were excluded.
Mr.. Tsaldaris had set up his cab
met, at the request of King Paul l
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