Evening star., 1948-02-25
BenesBows toCzechC Communists,
Accepts New Gottwa|d Cabinet;
Westefn Border Sealed byArmy
Security Troops
Heavily Armed
Along Frontier
by the Asseeioted Press

PRAGUE, Feb. 25.-President
Eduard Benes announced tonight
that he has accepted a new cab
met presented by Communist
Premier Element Gottwald, COM
posed chiefly of Communists and
their left-wing supporters.
The government radio announced
shortly before that the President had
capitulated to Communist demands,
indicating the last obstacle to iron
Communist control of the entire
nation had been swept away.
tThe United States Army said
in Frankfurt that heavily armed
Czech guards had tightly sealed
Czechoslovakia's western border.
("Guards are placed very close
together, armed with submachine
guns and pistols" Army head
quarters said. Where 80 security
troops are normally stationed in
(the border town of Asch, there
are now at least 300"
"a proclamation given to Bava-
rian border police by Czechs at
the frontier said no Czechoslovak
citizen Is permitted to leave
that country under any circum-
stances.")
Social Democrats In.
The new cabinet includes Social
Democrats, who swung back to
Communist support this week after
several months of estrangement.
Other parties also are represented.
A statement from the Presidents
office said two Social Democrats re-
signed before the new list was ac-
cepted. They were right wing
member vaclav Majer, minister of
food, and Frantisek Tymes, deputy
premier, who had been thought to
hold leftist views.
Jan Masaryk, nonparty member
OF the cabinet. continues as Minister
OF Foreign Affairs.
The announcement came as vast
crowds gathered in the public
square, prepared under Communist
leadership to stage a demonstration
in support of Gottwald. In another
quarter of the business center, Ma
tional Socialist Party student n1er1l-
heEs satl1ered fossss counterdenaon-
stration.
Police Ring Palace.
The Presidents palace was sur
rounded by hundreds of police and
soldiers, armed with rifles and
machine guns.
The Communists had posed a
threat of a general strike to enforce
their demands.
CThe retention of Mr.. Masaryk
appeared to raise the possibility
that Mr.. Benes had reached some
sort of compromise with the
Communists in their bid for abso-
lutte control A rionparty man,
MIR. Masaryk has spoken in favor
of collaboration with the western
powers.
CTwo months ago in London
Mr.. Masaryk said he did not be-
lieve the United States wished to
conclude q separate peace with
Germany, and added that an
absolute. break among the Big
Four powers was neither likely
nor necessary"
cat about the same time he
said he was hopeful that definite
trade relations with the United
States would be resumed by
CZechoslovakia)
New Ministers Listed.
1t was not Immediately cleal
whether some cabinet nominee
were picked on the basis of thei
party afiiliations or for their mem
bership in national organization
such asnfarmers', trade union, vet
erans' and youth groups.
But the president has continual!
insisted on party responsibility II
the National Front.
The new ministers included:
Deputy Premiers-Antonin Zapo'
tocky, Communist; Bohumil Laus
mann, Social Democrat, and Villain
Siroky, Slovak Communist.
Ministry of Foreign Trade - An.
(See CZECH. Page A-4D