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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 16, 24 February 1914, Page 6

Francisco .Villa,, the unpicturesque and barbaric rebel loader. in Mexico, whose

summary execution of a Britisher has precipitated international complications, is only living, up to .the best traditions of those marauders who, fired by hot ambition, have periodically made Mexico the scene of savage little guerrilla wars and conflicts of a Gilbertian nature "between the occupants of a shaky throne and insurgents. Mexico is the powder magazine of the Western World, and its" little explosions are mostly just explosions which flare above the sky-line and fade like an exhausted rocket. But General Villa, with his latest fireworks display, has hurt somebody, and that somebody happens to be a British subject who, for alleged threats against Villa, was taken out and shot, allegedly without, trial. The thunder of the English Prtfts '. has begun to reverberate acrobs the ''■' Atlantic, ancl : the position is admittedly an awkward one. Acting'on what he presunied to" be the most practical lines, President Wilson, whose intentions are indubitably of ,the best, removed' the embargo on the importation to Mexico of arms and ammunition. This is followed by what appears to be a savage and unprovoked outrage on the part of Villa, who will have to move round his native hills expeditiously if he would retain his head. The "Daily Mail" says that Mexico admittedly is within the sphere of American interest. It is a point about which there can be no dispute. Mexico has proved an unmanageable infant to Uncle Sam, who has got very tired of a ward whose chief penchant when bored is to open out with a gun in each hand, and shoot promiscuously. From all appearances, it will be some time before America can rid itself of the burden, for it is a child that* none would care to nurture, and there is no doorstep on which Uncle' Sam; cajtf«fOrsake ! it.' At the last minute' Villa >lhas'u*:eome' to light with a sensational account' of Benton entering his presence with flourished revolvers. Probabjyi'jhei/.will have to find another story to justify the execution. . The world's sympathy should be extended Jo President Wilson on the task the, rebel, has. set him.

A thoughtful article in a recent "Fortnightly Review' 'contains an interesting endeavour, to find, a., solution for the eternal problem of (Capital versus Labour. The writer fijjds most, hope for success in a system, pf co-partnership and profit-sharing, o,n Jines laid down in the The.,three main conditions. for success.are. set forth as'follow: Freedom for,, workers to \join a union and. to strike; recognition of the trades union rate of wages and of a fixed rate of interest upon capital as the basis of the scheme; the payment of one-half only (or smaller proportion) of the bonus in cash, the balance to be invested in the business. Several experimenters in years past endeavoured to limit the workers' right both to join a. union and. to strike, but, with one exception, this limitation, undermined the co-partnership scheme. Trades unionism at Home was for a loug time in bad odour with the more level-headed portions of the commun-, ity, because of the fact, that it had a,Jlowed itself; to, be led by revolutionary demagogues, who, veritable will-o'-the wisps, were the means of honestthinking Labour being landed in a quagmire. Despite the wave of unrest and militant dissatisfaction that is at present rolling across the industrial ' world, there are evidences that trades unionism is recovering its sanity, and has come to see through the transparent fellows who live by the strife they create. The firebrand Larkin threatened to drag, trade unionists at Home into the Dublin embroilment—his discomfiture will be easily 5 remembered. The New Zealand revolutionaries, to buttress their unrighteous cause, advertised from the house-tops a "call" to trade unionists: "Come out, and help us to crush armed scabbery.'' Auckland responded hastily —and as hastily repented; and in Wellington, where most was hoped for, only a mere handful of builders' labourers made tlio Kcds ' cause theirs, held meetings daily, and chanted the battle song of the Eed AiVthis is a'divergence (riot altogether irrelevant) from co-partnership. The "Fortnightly" contributor submits that' the fact that the 133 schemes now. operating represent over sixty distinct, trades and industries is proof that the system of dividing profits can be applied to the most diverse manufacturing industries with success. His suggestions are worthy of careful attention and study in these disturbed ' d'a'vs.