Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-12-16
LANSING SENDS
SHARP WARNING
Text OF American Note to Aus
tTia Is Made Public.
SINKING OF ITALIAN VESSEL
United States Demands Denouncement
Of Act and Punishment of Sub
marine Commander.
SINKING OF ITALIAN VESSEL

Washington. Dec. l4.-Followin2 is
Vienna, signed by Robert Lansing,
secretary of state:
"Reliable information obtained FROM
American and other survivors who
were passengers on the steamship An
coma shows that on Nov. ! Il Subma-
rine flying the AuStro-liungarian flag
fred a solid shot toward the steam
ship, Thai %thereupon the AncOna at,
tempted to escape, but, being over
hauled by the submarine, s%topped;
that after a brief period and before
the crew and passengers were all able
to take to the boats, the submarine
fired a number Of shells at the vessel
and finally %torpedoed and sank her
while there were yet many persons on
board; and that by guntire and foun-
dering Of the vessel a large number of
persons lost their lives or were seri-
ously injured, among whom were citi-
LSIlS VI Tie olllltu oldleS.
"The Austro-Hungarian government
has been advised, through the CORE
spondence which has passed between
the United States and Germany, of
the attitude of the government of the
United States as to the use of subma-
rines in attacking vessels Of com
merce, and the acquiescence of Ger
many in that attitude, yet with full
knowledge or the part of the Austro,
Hungarian government of the views of
the government of the United States
as expressed in no uncertain terms to
the ally of Austria-Hungary. the com
mander of the submarine which at
tackled the Ancona failed to put in a
place Of safety the crew and passen-
gers of the vessel which they pur,
posed to destroy because, it is pre-
sumed, Of the impossibility of taking
it into port as a prize Of war.
Believes Commander Guilty.
The government Of the United
States is forced, therefore, to con.
Clude either that the commander of
the submarine acted in violation of his
instructions or that the imperial and
royal government failed to issue in
%structions to the commanders of the
submarines in accordance with the
laws of nations and the principles of
humanity. The government of the
United States is unwilling to believe
the latter alternative and to credit the
Austro-Hungarian government with
an intention to permit it's submarines
to destroy the lives of helpless men,
women and children. 1t prefers to be.
iieve that the commander of the sub,
marine committed this outrage with.
out authority and contrary to the in.
structions he received.
"As the good relations of the two
countries must rest Upon a common
regard for law and humanity. the gov
eminent of the United States cannot
be expected to do otherwise than tC
demand that the imperial and royal
the Ancona as an illegal and indefen.
Sible act, that the Oflcer who per
petrated the deed be punished, and
that PREPARATION by the payment of ar
indemnity be made for the citizens OF
the United States who were killed OF
injured by the attack on the vessel.
The government of the United
States expects hat the Austro-Hun
garian government, approaching the
gravity Of the case, will accede to its
demands promptly and it rests this
expectation on the belief that the Aus
tro-Hungarian government will no
sanction or defend an act which is
condemned by the world as inhumant
and b%arbarous, which is %abhorrent tt
all civilized nations, and which ha:
caused the death of innocent Ameri
can c~itiZens.'