development of the key industries of those countries
should take. Moreover, Britain and France, together with
the countries closely associated with them, claim a dominat-
ing position in this organization, or in whait is called in
the British project, a "Steering Committee" for Europe.
Verbal reservations are now being made to the effect
that this organization will allegedly not interfere in the
internal affairs of the states in question or violate their
sovereignty. But it is perfectly obvious from the tasks set
before this organization, or 'before the "Steering Commit-
tee," that the European countries will become subsidiary
states and will forfeit their former economic independence
and national sovereignty in favour of certain strong Powers.
At any rate, it is now proposed to make the possibility of
any country's obtaining American credits dependent on its
obedience to the above-mentioned organization and its
"Steering Committee."
Where may this lead?
Today pressure may be exerted on Poland to make her
produce more coal, even at the cost of restricting other
Polish industries, just because certain European countries
may be interested in it;, tomorrow it will be said that
Czechoslovakia must be asked to increase her agricultural
output and curtail her machine-building industry, and
obtain her machinery from other European countries
which are desirous of selling their commodities at dearer
prices; or, as the newspapers recently wrote, Norway will
be forced to refrain from developing her steel industry,
because this would better suit certain foreign steel corpora-
tions, and so on. What will then remain of the economic
independence and sovereignty of such European countries?
How will small countries, and weaker states generally, be
able to -protect their national economy and state independ-
ence under such circumstances?
466