Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-17
President and Officials Pom
der Over Document More
Than an Hour.
IS NOT MADE PUBLIC
Wilson and Lansing Both
Silent-Break Regarded
as Less Probable.

Washington. y. c.. Dec. 17-Aus-
trias reply to Secretary Lansing's
nole go ,hc Aucona. received during
the night was laid today before Presi-
dent Wilson and the cabinet and dis
cassed more than an hour,
The gravity of the situation caused
By Aus.rtaa reIolnder to the American
demands. which is considered evasive,
unsatisfactory and unacceptable. re
manned unchanged
Details Not Clear.
The next step will not be decided on
until some minor points not clear in
The Official version are checked up.
The apparent discrepancies are not
Important and may be due 10 trans
mission OF translation from the state
department code. bat they will be
cleared up before another move is
made
Not Made Public.
Secretary Lansing said the official
text of the note certainly would not
be made public until he had an oppor-
tuafty 10 study it at length. Diplo-
matte relations. although in danger Of
being broken off, are not likely TO be
discussed at least net before there has
been another exchange OF notes with
Vienna and so the crisis may be said
not to De in its fnal stage Another
Hote setting out why the United States
cannot accept Austria's reply viii go
forward before the situation takes on
e more settled aspect.
Hope to Avoid Break.
Meanwhile there are some hints Of
Informal negotiations which might
smooth out the troubled situation. The
frequent calls Of Baron Zweidinek, the
Austrian charge at the stae depart
ment give some color to the expecta-
ton for a settlement
How much ground there Is for such
an expectation is not discussed by
those who entertain 1T.
Does Not Stop Honeymoon.
So far as was apparent today the
situation has not affected President
Wilson'S plans for going on his honey
moon journey after his wedding to-
MORROW night.
Before the president leaves, how
ever, he will agree with Secretary
Lansing on the outline Of a reply to
Aastria's note and If there should be
any further change in the situation
MIR, Lansing will go to confer with the
president at the place where he will
spend his honeymoon That place,
however so far has been kept & secret,
Informal Negotiations On.
Some time after the cabinet meeting
Prince Hoheulche, one Of the embassy
attaches called an Secretary Lansing
and presaned a communication Both
The prince and the secretary's office re-
fused TO Indicate its nature but the
presentation of another communica-
lion lent strength TO the belief that
some Informal negotiating was being
done
Text IN Same.
The Official text of Austria's reply
10 the Ameican note on the Ancona
proposing further communications or
The subject and specific allegations on
which the American charges are based
is virtually Identical with the unof-
9eal text cahled to the United States
from London,
slight changes caused by differences
N translation exist, but the meaning
Id Its general sense, is the same.
After President Wilson and the cab
net had considered the reply it was
EARNED authortatively that no decis,
ioa mad been reached as TO the nature
" the second note which the United
states will send to Austria-Hungary
4 Is certain. however, that this note
VIII 90 forward almost Immediately