Gorbachev, 9 republics join to fight Soviet crisis

MOSCOW Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev shifted Wednesdaytoward compromise with the fractious Soviet republics and woncritical support from his rival, Russian Chairman Boris N. Yeltsin,for a broad declaration of joint action against the country'seconomic and social crisis.

Gorbachev then used this new pact to rebuff an angry challengefrom Communist Party hard-liners, blocking their moves in a CentralCommittee meeting to debate whether he should resign as the party'stop leader.

Gorbachev and leaders of nine of the 15 republics, includingYeltsin, published a joint statement in the Communist Party newspaperPravda declaring their intention to work together to …