~“moving events. in An-
neces fighting there are
et: result of :the efforts of
ittge multi-nationals and
supporters to partition the
and preserve part of
al former control.
“separatist plans are
aimed, in the first place,
Ast the oil-rich Angolan ter-
: vor Cabinda where the huge
“unational.oil companies face
alization should the Popu-

Angola (MPLA) come to pow-
¢ MPLA, headed by Agos-
veto, has been the main
= in the anti-colonialist

ot for the Liberation:

struggle against Portuguese rule

‘and now is battling for the in-

dependence and unity: of Angola.
The main military force, orig-
inally set up with foreign money

and fighting against. the MPLA .

is the National Front for Libera-
tion of Angola (FNLA). This.
group is described by Time ma-
gazine as “3,000 regulars, some
of them foreign mercenaries . « .
based in Zaire and headed by

Holden Roberto a missionary-

educated soldier of fortune ...
backed by Zaire president Mo-
butu Sese Seko, Roberto’s broth-
er-in-law. It is known to be sup-
ported by Western business in-
terests, but has obtained most of
its arms from China.”

The Soviet press describes An-
gola as “playing a special role
in the schemes of the enemies of
a free Africa. The multi-nation-
als,” charges Soviet writer Kol-
chanov, “are reluctant to lose
the colossal profits which they
make out of the -natural re-
sources of Angola . . . diamonds,
oil and iron ore. Oil alone reaped
more than $500-million in profits
last year for the multi-nationals.

“The forces of international
imperialism,” he writes, “need

this country as a base, as a buf-"
-fer between independent Africa

and the racist regimes. The suc-
cesses of ‘the patriotic forces in
Angola threaten to give a fresh,
strong impulse to the liberation
struggle in the remaining pre-

-serves of racism in South Africa,

Rhodesia and Namibia.”
In addition, says Kolchanov,

ff So said an urgent appeal released in Moscow Aug. 15 by
ih © Communist Party of Chile. It urged international soli-
10, arity movements to exercise the utmost vigilance and
qecssure to prevent Corvalan’s isolation in jail and to re-
ok ie efforts to secure his freedom.

appeal pointed out that deliberate murder is known
oy el ice of the fascist junta, although, after someone is
ue eliberately hurt, officials will give phoney medical atten- -

0 mn for appearance’s sake.

oft __ Speaking at a press conference where the ‘appeal was
Teleased, Prof. Miguel Lawner, former Director of the
on ‘Improvement Corporation, said he spent more than

tree weeks in the same cell as, Corvalan at the Tres Ala-

concentration camp.

ps. :

wner had just been released. and allowed to leave
ile after spending 22 months without trial in various

He said Corvalan has managed to retain his moral
Strength in spite of the savage treatment he receives.

_ Volodia ‘Teitelboim, who read the message, appealed for

ene up campaign to save the Communist leader in

_ “International solidarity has saved Luis Corvalan’s life
Many times. His life is in constant danger. Despite the
Present heavy repression, the junta’s papers are saying

t the junta is too soft on communism. . .

ies the danger Corvalan is in,” Teitelboim said.

A solidarity meeting for Chilean patriots held recently at}
Kirov Electro-machine plant in Moscow. )

Utmost vigi lance needed 2)
to save life of Corvalan

‘MOSCOW — A curtain of secrecy has been drawn around
‘imprisoned Chilean Communist leader Luis Corvalan since
iN cae operation for appendicitis at a naval hospital in

. This under-

- Imperialism’ s last bid in Angola

. these ‘enemies of Africa are hit-

ting at the patriotic movement
in Portugal itself which opened
the road to freedom for. former
Portuguese colonies. .

Portugal announced Aug. 14
that it had again ‘taken author-
ity in Angola to oversee: the
orderly transition to indepen-
dence.

A double doing-in
by Dame Agatha

The death of Hercule Poirot,
the diminutive Belgian master
detective who dominated 37 of
Agatha Christie’s 85 full-length
novels and collections of short
stories, has been confirmed by
Dame Agatha.

Not. only that; to add. to the

THE UNSURPASSED
MISTRESS OF MYSTERY

tua
ag STIE

Bee & 1p 5s ORD BE: |

chagrin of Christie mystery ‘fans,
the 84-year-old writer has done-
in Miss Marple, her second rank
sleuth.

Not both in the same book,
but separately, so the coded
messages say, these two familiar
characters have come up to the
final curtain. In fact, the who-
dunnit in which Poirot expires
is entitled, Curtain. Some de-
scription of his circumstances,
aged and ailing, have leaked out,
and the fact that he makes one

~ heroic gesture to save another’s

life towards the end, but we do
not yet know what carried
Poirot away.

The fate of Miss Marple is an
even deeper secret. Rumor has
it that the volume in which she
appears for the last'time is lock-

ed away and may not be pub- .

lished until after Agatha Chris-
tie’s death.

Why did she do-in her two
greatest benefactors?’

According to a message, re-

pertedly inscribed on the inside
’ of an orange peel, then replaced

on ‘the orange, and purely by
chance purchased at the usual
exorbitant price in a supermar-
ket by an out-of-work news-
paper reporter, Dame Agatha
did it for her husband and
daughter.

She has legally made over one
of the books to her husband,
Max Mallowan, and the other to
her married daughter, so ‘that
they will collect the royalties

. from these undoubted collector’s

items.

You were good in your day,
Poirot; but you've been out-
witted at last.

GDR-PORTUGAL
FRIENDSHIP COMMITTEE
A GDR-Portugal Friendship

Committee was founded in Ber-
lin in late June. The committee
includes leading figures from the
public and. political life of. the
German Democratic Republic. —

~

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S YEAR ‘75
THE
RIGHT

TO WORK

By NAN McDONALD

IT IS KNOWN THAT TODAY over 500 million women
work outside their homes, constituting more than one third
of the total world work force. Forty-six per cent of women
in the world are in the work force; 65% of women in
the developing countries, 35% in the developed countries.
But in the overwhelming number of cases they have lower
skills, lower responsibilities and lower pay than men.

When you look at these figures you will see that their
contribution to economic life is immense and, apart from
the socialist countries, has never been properly recog-
nized. (This information comes from United Nations docu-
ments.)

THE RIGHT TO WORK, problems of employment, the
choice of trades and professions, of qualifications, salary,
work and health protection and pensions will be dealt with
as a major question at the World Congress for International

‘Women’s Year in Berlin:GDR Oct. 20-24. Representatives

from. 177 countries are expected to attend. Women and
men from all over the world will meet to discuss the
major concerns of all women.

It is expected that 30 delegates will attend from Can-
ada, representing Canadian women from all over our coun-
try. Canadian delegates should participate well in this
commission, for when one examines the place of women
in Canadian society it is shocking to find, as far as wages
are concerned, the gap is growing wider for one third of
Canada’s work force. (Information Canada Dept. of Labor—
Economics Research Branch.)

i e :
THE RIGHT TO A DECENT LIFE for women in agricul-

ture, to relieve them from the crippling burden: of physical
labor and help lessen their isolation, are very special prob-

. lems that can be resolved. Women in agriculture are among

the most exploited in the world. Canadian women in agri-
culture have contributed to the national economy. with the
sweat of hard labor, watched the price of their produce
drop -and their standard of living with’ it- while multi-
national corporations grow fat and wealthy at their expense.

The status of women is not, just an ideological question,
but very much.one of economics. The increasing participa-
tion of women in the economic life of our country is largely
because it is more profitable for industry, finance, service
and commerce to employ women. At the same time there
is no real attempt on the part of society to give them
the care and protection to which, as female citizens, as
mothers or potential mothers of the coming generation,
they are entitled and which is essential to our society, our
children and our future. :

The fundamental expression of the unequal position of
women, then, is to be found in the economic sphere: In
the economic dependency of wives of working men, sub-
servient to the employer’s power; and in the drive to keep
women as a source of cheap labor, perpetuating their sec-
ondary position and continuing the threat to all wages.

The federal government set up by the Royal Commission
on the Status of Women in 1970. Out of its 122 recom-
mendations only 42 have been implemented. Even when
bill C-16 is passed the number will rise only to 50. Gov-
ernments may set up commissions and introduce legislation,
(and this is of the utmost importance), but if they do not
create the conditions in society essential to expedite change,
it is the responsibility of the people to change the govern-
ment. If the new government fails to see to the needs of
the people, it is the responsibility of the people to change
the system of society.

e
The Canadian preparatory committee is at work in its

~ election of delegates for the World Congress. We, the

working women of Canada — that one-third of Canadian
society who have known for too long that the gap in wages
must be brought to an end — tired of pee pusted. know
that this is our time to move ahead.

' PACIFIC TRIBUNE—AUGUST 29, 1975—Page 9