Evening star., 1914-06-28

the animals must have shelter. Occasion
ally. too. there Is an effort to rebuild
small mill which may have been on
ha acienda-
Land partition is the real basis for the
reconstruction of Mexico. 1t Is both q
physical and an economic question. II
peaceful future the land must be parti-
toned and subdivided, yet few OF the
persons in the United States who talk
glibly of the subject have the faintest
lem. The same observation applies to
many Mexicans.
Some Of these, who claim to be political
philosophers. and who nave Put s ferth
elaborate plans, do not know the differ
ence between a hacienda and an ord1,
nary cattle ranch Too much political !
edge is likely to be one OF the main
philosophy and too little s praa1,sa ,h nrnhe Kh1w,
Most Of the political philosophers
write pamphlets on the land question.
1 have trunk full of them. A lew
practical persons who really understand
the subject. and who speak from ex-
perience, have also written pamphlets
1t is from this class of men that USE
full suggestions are to be obtained.
There are as many phases OF the lana
question as there are states in Mexico,
and each state seems to have plan OF
its own. There are also almost as many
shades of opinion among the constitu-
t;onalist leaders as there are leaders
ment has been a popular one in the
sense that no leader has had mon
opoIy of leadership.
AS illustrating the difference of opin-
ion, a very prominent member OF Gen.
Carranza's cabinet said to me at Dur-
ango: Villas plan won't do st all.
Villas plan in its general outlines Is
simple. He has already confiscated the
lands of the cientif1cos and other al
legged enemies of the revolution In Chi
huahua, and in q preliminary way mas mas
begun to partition them among mis-
soldiers.
The member Of Carranzs's govern
ment in saying that Villas plan would
not work evidently meant that the par
reward for military services. but that
1t would have to be based on economic
lines. Many people. however, who know
the peon and his habits are doubtful OF
that once he gets possession of the land
the peon will not work 1t himself but
will lease 1t or ALLEVIATE 1t.
Villa, who also knows the peon. and
knows him better than most of his
critics. proposes to meet this contin-
gency by forbidding the mortgaging or
alternating of the land, which is to be
sqbdivided into small holdings.
have to follow this up by some measure
which will compel the peon landholder
to cultivate his land under the penalty
of forfeiture. 1t Is beautiful dream
and cultivate 1t. but while there is a gen.
uine land hunger among the mass OF the
population, this will be satisfied on the
part Of many Of them by mere posses
sion, and they will be disposed to take
life as easy as possible.
This is the testimony of Mexicans of
the peon class themselves, as well as OF
the big landowners and foreigners. To
what extent the land can be subdivided
without interfering with its economic ef-
c nf rr,in ha
opinions are SO divergent that they can
not be reconciled. Some of Villas SOL
diers expect sixty acres. They also ex-
pect a mule and yoke of oxen.
A Mexican who has had experience told
me that twenty acres would be sufficient
to support an ordinary peon family If 1t
were suitably planted in corn and beans.
I remarked that it would hardly require
the labor of an entire family to cultivate
twenty acres. NO" he replied: some
of them can get work on the big hacien-
das, but I'm afraid they won't"
] observed further that under the new
land disposition there were to be no big
haciendas,
"a mistake" the Mexican said. Much
Of the land in Mexico can only be cul-
tivated on large SCALE but that will not
prevent small land holding. too"
IN >tne State OF sonora, which has been
controlled by the revolutionists from the
beginning, scheme of land partition has
been worked out which partakes largely
of the nature of state socialism The ex-
pertinent Is not advanced far enough to
enable a judgment to be formed OF its
ultimate results.
In the state of Tamaulipas some of the
big landowners voluntarily proposed a
plan for relinquishing their large estates
and partitioning them among their ten
ants. Under this plan the state Is to
advance funds to the tenants in a series
of annual loans, and the landowners are
to be compensated in this manner The
plan IN its initial stages is said to be
working well.
The state of Durango, Notwithstanding
the anarchy which prevails there under
the bandit army. has entered upon a plan
of subdivision by means Of agricultural
contemplates tn, issue of form of