Elections in Czechoslovakia
The results of the Czechoslovakian elections are surprising, not because the Communists polled nearly 40 per cent. of the votes in Bohemia and Moravia, but because the Democrats, a Conservative party, polled 6o per cent. of the votes in Slovakia. The effect has been to maintain the balance between Right and Left in the Con-
stituent Assembly. As Slovakia, with only 69 deputies in an assembly of 300, has the right to veto any Bill, as it affects her, of which she disapproves, her influence is very much greater than her numbers suggest. All parties are pledged to carry out the Kosice programme—nationalisation of the major industries, the split- ting .up of the big estates, the ejection of minorities—so that any tension in the new Assembly will probably be reserved until the drafting of the new constitution. Then will almost certainly become evident the difficult choice which confronts a people who, with a long tradition of democratic principles find themselves, not only on economic grounds, looking towards Russia for their future. Before the war Czechoslovakia had a preponderance of light indus- tries, mostly in the hands of the German minority, the products of which were exported to the west. Now that Germany has been forbidden the retention of her heavy industries, Czechoslovakia will ultimately find her light industries competing with her powerful neighbour. On the other hand, if she develops her heavy indus- tries she is assured of a market in the Soviet Union for all that she can produce for a very long time to come. Faced with this conflict, it is fortunate that in Dr. Benes she has a President who has given ample proof of his political judgement and integrity.
