Evening star., 1947-08-23
Greek Cabinet
Falls in Rifton
Continuing War
; Ministers Accuse
Colleagues of Falling
To Restore Order
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associofed Press
ATHENS, Aug. 23.-Premier
Demetrios Maximos' cabinet,
backed by $3OO,OOO,OOO in Ameri-
can aid, fell today.
Three center party ministers
brought on the crisis by insisting
that two colleagues, in charge of
security, had failed to restore order.
The three ministers sought to as
sumo the security PORTFOLIOS.
They drew quick opposition from
Foreign Minister Constantin Tsal-
daris just back from Washington
conferences, Mr.. Tsaldaris argued a
reshuff1ing of the cabinet would not
be service to the country.
Tsaldaris Called In.
The coalition cabinet, made up of
the main parties but excluding left
wing EAM forces, had served since
January and had seen the launching
of the vast program of Americapnaid
voted under the Truman plan call
ing for a halt to totalitarianism.
King Paul called in Mr.. Tsaldaris,
among other leaders, to discuss for
nation of new government.
The crisis came only four days
after the United Nations Security
I Council, in the face of Russian
vetoes. found itself unable to resolve
the problem of guerrilla warfare
along Greece's northern borders.
Charges connecting Albania, Yugo-
slavia and Bulgaria with those
troubles are expected to come be-
fore the U. N. General Assembly
next month.
All Former Premiers.
The three resigning ministers were
center leaders and former premieres
-Vice-Premier Sophocles Veni-
zelos, George Papandreou and Pana-
yotis Kanellopoulos. They had urged
that Gen. Napoleon zervas be re-
moved from the Ministry of Public
Order with Mr.. Kannellopoulos,
Navy Minister, replacing him. Mr.
Papandreou, who held the Interior
portfolio, wanted to assume the War
Minister in place of George Stratos.
The dissidents contended right
wing parties had failed in the Sc
curity ministries.
King Paul received Mr.. MaXimos
resignation and called in political
leaders on the question of forming
a new cabinet. Mr.. Tsaldaris was
among those summoned.
Sign Joint Statement.
Mr.. Maximos announced that Mr..
Papendreou, Mr.. ''Venizelos and Mr..
Kanellopoulos handed him written
joint statement. It said:
Following careful examination
Of the situation we came to the
conclusion that with a view to the
promotion of the national struggle it
is imperative to have the govern
ment reconstructed in order to
strengthen confidence externally
and increase creative output in
ternally.
1--WE are prepared to assume in
creased responsibility in recon-
stituted government and not to
avoid SUCH Because this viewpoint,
to which we attach particular sig
nificance, has not been accepted by
the leader of the Populist Party
(Maximos) we see ourselves COM
PEELED to resign"
Mr. MaXimos yesterday partici
pated in ceremonies welcoming two
ships which brought Greece $1,000
tons of flour as part of the Amer
lean aid program.
Tsaldaris States Objections.
Mr.. Tsaldaris said he objected to
changes in the government because
"a cabinet reconstruction at this
juncture would render no service
whatever to the country.
"It is necessary that the govern
ment should take measures to meet
the acute situation as it is de-
veloping today.
THE only instance in which the
government should be reshuff1ed Is
one which would embrace all par
Iliamentary parties, regardless Of
whether this would constitute the
best solution or not.
"On the contrary, any change of
cabinet member from one port
folio to another would by no means
serve the public interests
Warfare Continuing.
Guerrilla warfare continued,
meanwhile, and Stephanos Kala-
balikis, until recently a leader of a
right wing band in the Volos area,
was reported arrested yesterday in
Athens.
Kalabalikis has been sentenced to
death in absentia IL times. A re-
ward of 100000 drachmas $4,000
had been offered for his capture.
| Greek government artillery sta
toned in Lamia, 80 miles northwest
of Athens, repeatedly fired on a
large force of guerrillas believed to
be from Mount Parnassus units.
Other press reports said Is guer-
rillas slain two nights ago in an
attack by some 200 of them on
Nigrita, in Macedonia, 80 miles
northeast of Salonika. The de-
tenders lost eight gendarmes and
civilians. Thirty three houses were
reported to have been set afire.
Further east, in Thrace, the re-
ports said, a band from Bulgaria
attacked the villages of Neomorion
and Daphne, Is miles northwest OF
Xanthe and IL miles south OF the
border. The band burned 40