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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY. Close upon the delivery of President Wilsons s message depredating any departure from the nations present defense poli.-rr there came the annual report of Secretary of War Garrison disclosing X the total unpreparedness of the army of the United 1 States to repel any consequential foe. In contrast fc witli the presidents assertion that national defense f lias not been neglected, that the people have been " misinformed of tne condition of the army and navy, and that this year of world conflict is not the u lime to adopt extraordinary measures of protection. " Mr. Garrison shows how the lack of an adequate army and reserves places the United States at the mercy of an enemy, urges the immediate provision . , of a larger laurt force and calls upon the nation to heed the lessons of the European war. . Kire- destroyed virtually the entire main plant of r the Edison company at West Orauge, N. .1., causing - damage estimated at nearly ,000,000, with h insurance that it is expected will reduce the loss :f to approximately ,000,000. A square block o eleven modern reinforced concrete buildings, which , 1 were supiwsed to be fireproof was burned out by the llames. The only building saved in the block was lS the laboratory building, containing valuable scientific 1 machinery under the immediate superintendence ot l the inventor. Thomas A. Edison. Special efforts s made to save this structure were successful. A resolution was introduced in the United States ;s senate by Senator Konyou requesting the warring nations, in the name of the congress of the United d Slates, to declare a twenty-day truce over the ie Christmas holidays "that the Christian people of ,f the world may fittingly observe the Christmas season" xf and with "the hope that such cessation of i hostilities may stimulate rellectiou upon the pact of such nations as to the meaning and spirit of the Christmas time, and that there may come again " on earth peace aud good will toward men." The United States this year has produced the ie greatest crop of cotton "lit its history. The total is more than 10,000,000 hales 15.900,000 of lint it cotton, and liuter cotton uuofiicially estimated at Ji from 000,000 to 050,000 bales. Last year 14,342,307 bales, including linters, were produced, and in the previous record year, 1911, the production was 10, 250,270 bales, including Milters. Gen. Frederick Funston has been relieved of the te command of the Fifth brigade at Galveston, and id the belief is that lie will not return to Texas. His is successor in command. It is said, will be Brig. Gen. ii- George Bell, Jr., who is now at Vancouver barracks, r- Washington. Food, clothing or any commodity which would Id in the slightest degree serve to prolong the Eu-. a- lopean war, as well as contraband, would be barred from export under a bill introduced in the United d States senate by Senator Works. Serious. opposition to President Wilsons ship purchase r. bill developed when Representative Kitcliin ot Dt North Carolina, ranking Democratic member of the Je house ways and means committee, announced his intention ii- tjt lighting the bill. That the United States faces a prospective de-liclt "7 or approximately 1914.sh0,000,000 in the next fiscal !" year is shown in the annual reiiort issued by Secretary of. the Treasury McAdoo. The Australian legislative council has ratified the bill empowering the government to purchase the i whole of the ensuing wheat crop of New South 111 Wales at 1.25 a bushel. Great Britain lias announced officially that Egyptian t cotton may lie exported to neutral countries without any restrictions concerning its re-exportation. President Wilson again flatly opitosetl tin; idea that woman suffrage in the United States should lij effected by an amendment to the Constitution. Federal troops in the Colorado strike region probably ,!" Will be ordered withdrawn today.
