The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-18
Step Is Decided Upon in Special Cabinet Meeting. Lansing Helping Draft New Note
THE SITUATION IS S
 NOW REGARDS SS
 MOST DIS FATE
Second Note Vii P ,hasize Former Demands, But Room for Graceful Recess sion May Be Provided
By HUGH ". ROBERTS

Washington, December 17.-(Special ] The President and his cabinet determined this afternoon to draft another and final note to Austria, the note to be in effect an ultimatum. The government has taken the position that the reply of Austria rep resenting the Ancona incident is evasive and altogether unacceptable. Tonight the President and Secretary Lansing, it is un- derstood, are writing the second note. and discussing in detail the delicate situation Ill order that during the absence of the President the secretary can proceed with out further instructions. This government has shown a disposition today to treat to limited extent with the Austro- Hun garian government, but the latter must recede from its previous admission that the Aneona was standing still when tor pedoed and not attempting to escape
 The communication will vigorously renew the demands made in the first note; none of them according to an official announcement by Secretary Lansing, having been complied with by the Vienna foreign office
 President Wilson probably will ap- prove the form the second note shall take tomorrow in conference with Sec retary Lansing. The Secretary will then act without further suggestion from the President, who will leave wedding trip. Should the Secretary de- termine, however, that the further counsel of the President is necessary will go to wherever the executive may be- Should the situation become still more acute. the President may be forced to shorten his honeymoon to re- turn to Washington.
 From an authoritative Teutonic source came the ihfornaation tonight that the Vienna government had no de- sire to be the cause of diplomatic re- lations between the United States and Austria Hungary being severed It was said that if the second note left an avenue for it, the foreign office probably would see fit to agree to all the demands made by the United States.
 The second note will be cabled to Ambassador Penfield for presentation tN t',e Vienna foreign office at the earliest possible moment. It is consid- .4 trooaple that it vii be stated by Monday afternoon.
 II has been determined, it was said tonight, that the note shal restate the position and views of the United States emphatically; that it shall be even more vigorous than the first note, which was the most drastic of all the diplomatic communications the United States has sent during the present war.
 AUSTRIAN REPLY CONSIDERED
 The official text of the Austrian re- ply was considered today by the Pres ident and his cabinet Apparently the official version contained nothing which made it's meaning radically diff ferent from the unofficial version ca bled in news dispatches from London. After the cabinet meeting MT. Lansing announced that none of the demands made by the United States had been acceded to. It was explained that the reply suggested further communication on the subject and more specific infor- nation in support of the charges made by the United States.
 Official translation, Mir Lansing said, made the meaning of the Austro- Hungarian government perfectly clear. The Secretary previously had declared the unofficial version to be vague. Slight changes caused by varations in translation existed between the two version he said after seeing the off cial text but the meaning in broad sense was the same.
 Such a rejoinder is wholly unsatis- factory and unacceptable to the Amer
 
 gravity of the situation between the two nations.
 OFFICIALS RETICENT
 In regard to the second note, Secre- tary Lansing and officials were reti- cent. It was said however, that the United States might give some of the facts asked for, though it would not under any consideration enter an ex- tended discussion of details. The United States expects it's demand to be promptly compiled with. and such ap- parent procrastination as officials consider Austria Hungary exhibited in answering the original inquiry for in formation submitted soon after the Ancona disaster, will not be allowed to pass without action.
 Prince Hohenlohe, one of the at taches of the Austrian embassy, called at Secretary Lansing's office today and started much speculation by leav- ing what appeared to be communities tion. Later it was learned that the prince had left number of dispatches in cipher which he desired to trans init to his government Code messages of this character are required to pass through the state department before they can be wirelessed. The messages it was said. contained reports of in formal conferences Baron Zwiedinek charge of the embassy, has had with Secretary Lansing. as well as an inter- pretat ton of public opinion here in re- gard to the Ancona negotiations.