The Nome Daily Nugget

There is a little periodical in Virginia that seems to have been born for no other purpose than to abuse the navy and everything else. The name of the periodical is of no consequence, being transient, but it is called The Galaxy, and it has chosen Norfolk, a seaport, to afflict. It might as well be called by any other name. If by reason of toughness it should be four years, yet will its strength be labor and frothing.

This little periodical, published at a great seaport, positively declares that two and one-half millions of dollars worth of ammunition has been fired by the American navy at the old battle-ship Texas as a target, and that the old Texas still survives and will continue to survive, and sneers at the American navy in that, firing two and one-half millions in ammunition at a single unresponsive battleship it fails to destroy it, and wonders how long it would take the American navy to destroy one live battleship of an active enemy. It is in this way that one young scribbler, with his pen and ink, can injure the navy at the time when it most needs friends.

This young man is utterly ignorant of the fact that only one ship, the New Hampshire, used war ammunition against the Texas when it was made a target. The remaining ships used non-explosive shells. He is utterly ignorant of the fact that less than three minutes after the order was given to commence firing the New Hampshire, on March 17, 1911, at a distance of six miles, smashed the old Texas, now called the San Marcos, to smithereens and sank her just as far as it was possible for her to sink in the shallow water in which she had been placed, so as to save her decks. Nor does he realize the facilities of naval gunnery by which this old vessel can be utilized for years to come in the training of young officers and gun pointers in spotting and calibration.

- N. Y. American.