The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-12-31

washington, Dec. zO--FIeSiuehI
completed the first draft of the
new note to Austria-Hungary reiterat-
ing the American demands regarding
the sinking OF the Italian steamship
Ancona. The note was signed by Sec
rotary Lansing.
Text of Austrian Reply.
Austria's reply TO the American note
on the sinking of the Italian liner An
coma, as made public on Saturday by
the state department. follows:
American Embassy, Vienna, Dec. 10, |
19l5.-Secretary Of State, Washing |
ton: Following note received from min
lister of foreign affairs at noon today;
In reply to the much esteemed note |
number 4167, which his excellency, |
Frederic CORTLAND Penfield. ambassa-
dor extraordinary and plenipotentiary
of the United States of America, di-
rected TO him in the name OF the
American government under date OF
the 9Th inst, in the matter of the
sinking of the Italian steamer Ancona,
the undersigned, preliminary to thor
ough, meritorious treatment OF the de-
mand, has the honor TO observe that
the sharpness with which the govern
ment Of the United States considers 1t
necessary to blame the commanding
officer of the submarine concerned In
the affair and the flrmness in which
the demands addressed to the imperial
and royal government appear to be ex'
pressed might we'll have warranted the
expectation that the government OF
the United States should precisely
specify the actual circumstances or
the affair upon which it bases its
case.
Sees Room for Many Doubts.
"As is not difficult to perceive, the
presentation of the facts in the case
in the aforesaid note leaves room for
many doubts, and even il this pres
entation were correct in all points and
the most rigorous legal conception
were applied to the Judgment OF the
case. 1t does not in any way sufficient
Nv warrant attaching blame to the COM
handing officer of the war vessel or
to the imperial and royal government.
1.-The government of the United
States has also failed to designate the
persons upon whose testimony it re-
lies and to whom it apparently be-
lieves it may attribute higher degree
of credibility than to the commander
of the imperial and royal fleet"
THE imperial and royal govern
ment is in principle ready to enter
into an exchange Of views in the al
fair with the government OF the United
States.
1T must, however, in the first place
raise the question why that govern
ment failed to give judicial reasons FOL
the demands set forth in it's note witt
; reference to the special circumstance
of the discriminating events upol
which it itself lays stress, and why il
lieu thereof it referred to an exchang
. of correspondence which it has con
;. Quoted with another government Il
other cases.
n Wishes Points of Law Set Out.
}, THE imperial and royal govern
n ment is the less able to follow tn
Washington cabinet on this unusua
path. since it by no means possesse
authentic knowledge OF all of tn
= pertinent correspondence of the go
erpment Of the United States, nor
il of the opinion that such know
D edge might be sufficient for it In tn
ich IN
is informed is in essential points
anoth er nature than the case or case
c to which the government of tt
" United States seems to allude. III
d. imperial and rcyal government ma
. therefore leave It to the Washingto
III cabinet to formulate the particul;
20 points of la~ against which the col
handing officer of the submarine
&c alleged to have offended on the c
ccsion of the sinking of the Ancona
n. To Maintain Own Legal Views.
IN 'The government of the Unit
IN States has also seen fit to refer
ed the attitude which the Berlin ca
he met assumed in the abOve-mention
|
IS ROYAL government finds in the muC
esteemed note no indication whatev
re- of the intent with which this ref
re ence was made. Should, howev
OF the government of the United Stat
srs thereby have intended to express
ms opinion to the effect that pr
an udice OF whatever nature existed
ms the imperial and royal governme
tn with respect to the judicial cons
In Grafton of the affair III question. &
'us government must. in order TO p
pre- clude possible MISUNDERSTANDING
q. clare that as a matter of course it
10 serves TO itself full freedom of ma
ers tanning its own legal views in the {
VIII cussion of the case of the Ancona.
'no The imperial and royal governm
most sincerely deplores the fate of
innocent victims OF the incident
question. bohlAN.
ma PENFIELD.