tion of morality.
Un Aborto Criminal, a sensationalist anti-abortion film, has been given a special government prize, the premio especial, to boost its attendance. The plot is trite beyond belief, one scene shows the criminal woman dreaming of the appearance of her aborted 'child' one year after her abortion. shows incidentally just how dependent Spanish women are on abortion facilities in Britain. One scene reads:
0. Where is Manuela!
A. In England.
O. What's she doing there?
A What everyone else does.
Of course those who do come here ate mainly middle class women, but 1 also met a poorly paid bank clerk who borrowed her whole month's salary to do so For those who are forced to have an abortion in Spain, the picture is grim. An estimated 300,000 occur yearly, with at least 1 per cent mortality rate (ie. three thousand deaths)
and that doesn't take into account hidden complications. Accurate statistics are of course impossible to obtain. Many deaths are simply hidden; as one woman told me: 'My mother died of an illegal abortion, but everyone in the family goes on saying that she died of a haemorrhage.
What leads women to such desNEW TROTSKY BOOKS The Challenge of the Left Opposition (1923-25) is the first of a series presenting the major writings of Trotsky during the first two years of the Left Opposition Included are: The New Course; Lessons of October, Problems of Civil War, and To wards Capitalism or Socialism. In addition, there are several items not readily available before in Enalish: Trotsky s letters to the Central Committee of the RCP of October 1923, his point by point rejoinder to his critics; and several other smaller items. Price £1.80 (post 24p).
Writings of Leon Trotsky 1930 is the latest of the twelve-volume series. It brings together the articles, letters and pamphlets written during the first ten months of 1930, the second year of trotsky sexie trom ine soviet Unon This period was extremely important for the struggle to construct the International Left Opposition, and the programmatic clarification involved in this (dealing with such questions as the class nature of the soviet union attitude towares unt Bukharinists, etc.) Price £1.80 (post 24p).
Lenin's Fight Against Stalinism (by Lenin and Trotsky) is a unique collection of létters, speeches and articles - including Lenin's suppressed Testament - showing that Lenin beaan a many-sided struggle against stalinism at its inception. It dise documents Lenin's fight on the national question against Stalin and his henchmen Other questions dealt with are the state monopoly of trade, the growth of bureauc racy and Lenin's approaches to Trotsky to form a bloc. Price £1.00 (post 11p).
OTHER NEW PUBLICATIONS Capitalism in Crisis, by Dick Roberts, is an analysis of the combined crisis of inflation and recession, the struggle over Middle East Oil, and the rise and falf all ot Us power trom worla war t to Its defeat in Vietnam. Price 90p (post 11p).
Women in China, by Katie Curtin, describes the change in the status of Chinese women since the revolution of 1949.
Curtin, a Canadian socialist, traces the early women's movement and shows how perate and primitive measures as one, lack of proper contraception. All propaganda mentioning contraulation of periods; it cannot be suited to the individual women's needs and complications. UNOBTAINABLE For example, the low estrogen pills available in Britain are virtually unheard of such a dosage would indicate that the pill is in fact being used for contraceptive rather than • regulative purposes. The diaphragm is virtually unknown. IUDs must be purchased abroad and a friendly (expensive) doctor found who is willing to insert the IUD. The rhythm method needs no further explanation.
In a country where the peasantry account for around 30 per cent of the population, the peasant woman faces every difficulty imaginable Mer sexual oppression is reinforced by the generally backward surroundings. 'I have watched a woman from my home town in Andalusia publicly stoned for committing adultery, a — Red Books News!
support or women s emancipation in te early 1920s changed to vacillation under the influence of Stalinism. The book also outlines the role of women in the revolution and the transformation of Chinese society. Price 65p (post 10p).
Teamster Politics, by Farrell Dobbs, is the third of a four-volume series - the first two being Teamster Rebellion and Teamster Power - which tell how the internationa bromernood or teamster.
grew during the 1930s to become the largest trade union in tne us. in ream ster Politics, Dobbs writes about the Teamsters' expansion in the eleven-state area around Minnesota; employer-inspired FBI'frame-up attacks on the Teamster organisation; the Minneapolis Teamsters and Farmer-Labour party politics; and the struggles ot the unemployed and the victimisation of their leaders. Price £1.30 DOSLIOD!
Pragmatism versus Marxism: An Appraisal of John Dewey's Philosophy by George Novak, assesses the theories of John Dewey, the most representative and conerent advocate of pragmatist i the field of philosophy, education and politica theory. Pragmatism and Marxism are contrasted point by point on questions of scientific method, logic, the nature ol experience, the criteria of truth and the anatomy or society rice to post 17p).
Eyewitness in revolutionary Portugal, by Audrev vise is an account or tre more.
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The book has the "Strategic Programme of the Armed Forces Movement as an appen tering right-wing propaganda. Price 50p (post 8p).
All from RED BOOKS. 97 Caledonian Road, London N.1. their babies on others' doorsteps.' legally a human being until the age of 24 hours; so there are cases of infanticide, again hidden.
for having an abortion vary accordprisonment, with an approximate fine of 20,000 pesetas (around £200). The nurse (conmadrona) ous and make the issue of abortion at this point only a question of discus sion. While there is not a movement in any organised sense, the general interest is shown by the August 1975 publication of the magazine Cuadernos para el Dialogo, totally devoted to the subject of women International Women's Year has also provoked much controversy
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Anita Bennett reports 'In prison with me', explained the Spanish feminist Lidia Falcon, was a woman serving a sentence of 38 years for performing abor- tions. Such penalties are common in Spain, where even for em- bracing in public a couple can be charged and fined for a viola-
razor blades, plastic tubes filled with soap, pills, and herbal baths? For
ceptives is banned. Legally, the pill can only be prescribed for reg