Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-09
United States Asks Dis
avowal of Act and Repa-
ration for Lives Lost.
NOTE, IN FIRM TONES.
DISPATCHED TO VIENNA
So Drafted as to Attempt Settle
ment of Controversy With
gout Delay.
SITUATION ADMITTEDLY GRAVE
Every Opportunity Left for Amicable
Reply, but Prompt Assurances
Must BE Given.

Reply, but Prompt Assurances
Must BE Given.
WASHINGTON. December S.--Thc
United States has sent to Austria
Hungary n nota asking for II disvowaI
OF the submarine attack upon the
Italian liner Ancona. assurances that
such an act will not be repeated. GONE
degree OF punishment for the com
mandcr of the submarine. and repara-
ton for the American lives lost.
Tho communication started by cable
yesterday from the State Department
TO Ambassador Frederick c. penfeld.
at vienna. who was instructed TO hand
II TO The Austro hungarian Minister Of
Foreign ANaira. Baron Burian. Word
or the delivery of tho note had not been
received By the department tonight.
Friendly but firm tones characterize
the document. which is understood TO
make a particular point Of prompt as
Suranccs for the safety Of American
lives. Austria Hungary has never in
formed the United States whether the
commanders Of it's submarines had been
given instructions similar 10 those Ger
many gave to it's commanders after
the I-usitania tragedy. I, is under
stood that the note referred par,icu-
larly TO the charge that shells from
the submarine killed or wounded some
passengers on the Ancona, after she
had halted, and asked for an cxplaha-
tiun on the point
ACTS WITH APPROVAL.
or PRESIDENT WILSON
In dispa,chlng the note. Secretary
Lansing acted with the approval OF and
after consulting with President Wilson.
II is stated authoritativcly that the
document, which is being described as
comparativcly brief and OF decidedly
vigorous tone, WAS so drafted To
attempt a settlement OF thc controversy
1T ones-.--Sithout bringing on I, series
OF communications such as followed the
sinking OF tho Lusitauia.
High officials said 20 be OF the
opinion that the situation is one which
calls for grave considcrat ion. the state
OF affairs having become more com
plicatcd since the note was dispatched
by reports Of attacks upon American
oii-carryinE vessels in the Mediter-
rancan, presumably by Austrian sub
marines.
News that the note had been sent
came as a complete surprise TO official
Washington generally, the report
which cmanatcd from the State De
partIncnt carly in the week being that
no positive and Corroboratcd evidence
as to what actually had occurred when
the Ancona went down had been re-
cciycd 1t was said that the reports
received were fraSmentary. conflicting
or contradictory. aud that until a re-
port 10 the inquiries submitted TO Aus.
tra Hungary was received ii was
probable that no communication would
hc TO N;,nnn Ton i,yh
suggested in some quarters that in
formation OF Il most conclusive nature
had come to Secretary Lansing. prob
ably late Monday night. and that it had
been decided then that the protest
should go forward Immediately.
Whether Ambassador pcnncld had
transmitted the reply OF the Vienna
Foreign Office TO the list Of queries sab
mittcd by the United States could not
be aSccrtaincd.
STATE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES
SOME ANSWERS no QUERIES
The belief prevails, however,. that
the state Department had received an
swers of some sort to the queries. In
the inquiry Austria Hungary was
asked, among other things. whether /,
warning shot had been fred before the
ship Was Shcllcd, whether time was
given the passengers to get to I; place
of safety, and whether any shots were
fired at the ship after she had come to
standstill, and before the torpedo
that sank her was launched. The Aus
tro-Hungarian embassy here had not
been advised tonight that the inquiry
had been answered. and it was said
that the Italian ambassador, who has
transmitted much information upon the
sinking of the Ancona had not fur
nishcd the United States with anything
additional.
The Ancona was sunk in the Mcditcr-
rancan Sea on November ., while bound
from Naples for New York. The ONLY
testimony of native American sur
vivor Of the liner before the department
is in a deposition by DR.. Cecil Griel.
Of New York. In her disposition, DR..
Griel asserts specifically that the liner
was torpedocd while the men, women
and children i'll the cabin and steeracc
were scrambling TO get into the small
boats. The department has been in
clncd not 10 accept this single state
mcnt as positive proof unless corrobo-
ration was received from some source
Much weight was given, however. to
what DR.. Griel had to say. Her tcsti-
mony was considered of SO much i'm
portance that she was taken to Rome
where she told her story TO Ambassador
rage. a report OF this conversation
reached the state Department recently
After the inquiry of the United States
had been before the Vienna Foreign
Oflice several days. Ambassador PEN
aeld reported that more time was de-
CONTINUED on Third Pagc)