The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-12-16
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY Is EXPECTED
TO REPLY AT ONCE TO DE-
MANDS MADE BY
UNITED STATES.
TORPEDOING OF LINER Is
ARRAlGNED AS BARBkR0US
No Attempt Made to Conceal Fact
That Unless Demands Are Quickly
Complied With, Diplomatic Re-
lations viii Be in Grave DAN
ger Of Being Severed.

Washington, Dec. 14.-Austria-Hun.
gary is expected to reply shortly TO
the demands made by the United
States in the note on the sinking Of
the Italian steamer Ancona The note
was delivered in Vienna December 6,
and Washington oficialdom considers
the word prompt" used, to mean the
dual monarchy had but a week at
most in which to reply.
Noncompliance is deemed here to
mean immediate severance of diplo-
matte relations.
In official and diplomatic circles the
communication is regarded as being
the most emphatic declaration from
the United States government since
the beginning of the European war.
No attempt is made to conceal the
fact that unless the demands are
quickly complied with, diplomatic
relations between the two countries
will be in grave danger of being sew
cred. The text of the note, which
was handed to the Austrian foreign
office by Ambassador Penfield, fol-
lows:
American Lives Lost.
Reliable information obtained from
American and other survivors who
were passengers on the steamship An
cona shows that on Nov. 7 a submarine
flying the Austro-H Hungarian flag fired
a solid shot toward the steamship;
that thereupon the Ancona attempted
to escape; but being overhauled by
the submarine she stopped; that after
a brief period and before the crew and
passengers were all able to take to
the boats the submarine fired a num-
Der of shells at the vessel and finally
torpedoed and sank her while there
were yet many persons On board; and
that by gunfire and laundering of the
vessel a large number of persons lost
their lives or were seriously injured,
among whom were citizens of the Unit
ed States.
THE public statement of the Austro
Hungarian admiralty has been brought
TO the attention of the United States
and received careful consideration.
This statement substantially confirms
the declaration of the survivors, as it
admits the Ancona after being shellec
were still on board.
Slaughter of Defenseless."
"The government of the United
States considers that the commander
violated the principles of international
law and of humanity by Smelling and
torpedoing the Ancona before the per-
ons on board had been put in a place
of safety or even given sufficient time
to leave the vessel. The conduct of
the commander can only be charac-
terized as wanton slaughter of defense
less non-combatants since at the time
when the vessel was shelled and tor
pedoed, she was not, it appears, resist
ing or attempting to escape; and no
other reason is sufficient to excuse
ity of rescue.
Austria Must Denounce Act.
AS the good relations of the two
countries must rest upon a common re-
gard for law and humanity, the govern
ment of the United States cannot be
expected to do otherwise than to de-
mand that the imperial and royal gov
eminent denounce the sinking oil the
Ancona as an illegal and i~ndefensible
act, that the officer who perpetrated
the deed be punished; and that repa-
ration by the payment of an indemnity
be made for the citizens of the United
States who were killed or injured by
the attack on the vessel.
THE government of the United
States expects that the Austro-Hunga-
rian government, approaching the
gravity of the case, will accede to it's
demands promptly and it rests this ex-
%pectation on the belief that the Aus
tro-Hungarian government will not,
sanction or defend an act which is con-
demned by the world as inhuman and
barbarous, which is abhorrent to all
civilized nations, and which has caused
the death Of innocent American citi-
zens." LANSING"