In La Moneda

President Pedro Aguirre Cerda of Chile was a very sick man last week. His ruddy face now had the flush of fever. As he lay in his bed in the Moneda Palace, the daily bulletins about his health spoke always of his condition, never mentioned the disease from which Don Tinto was suffering. But three of the four doctors attending him were specialists in tuberculosis.

In the same building, Chile's Vice President and Acting President of a fortnight. Geronimo Mendez, was fighting, as hard a battle as the President. He was doing his best to keep the Popular Front Government together.

Don Tinto's retirement to his bed (TIME, Nov. 17, et seq.) had been the signal for an enfilading attack on the Government. Leftists charged that Rightists and Nazi sympathizers were conspiring to seize power. Rightists declared that Leftists were planning a palace coup. The Radicals and Socialists, chief parties of the Popular Front, were suspicious of each other.

Last week, however, both the President and the Vice President made slight gains. Don Tinto, the doctors said, had no complications. Don Geronimo, a celebrated conciliator, had compromised some confidence into the Popular Front.

The terms were simple. The Socialists had been afraid that under Acting President Mendez their three ministers would be forced out of the Cabinet. Instead, Geronimo Mendez replaced two key Radical ministers criticized by the Socialists with new Radical appointees more acceptable to the Socialists. For the time being, it seemed, the Popular Front was a front.

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