The Washington times., 1915-12-22
AMERICA REPEATS
DEMANDS TO AUSTRIA
No Course Open But to Hold
Vienna Government Re-
spOnibIe, Says Lansing.
Ocontlnued from Flrst Pagel

o; the correspondence between this
country and Germany on the subma-
rinc controversy. and should have gov
erned the conduct OF her submarines
in accordance with the acceptance Dy
Germany Of tho principles laid down by
the United States.
1t was to this reference. dispatches
from Germany and Austria state, that
the Austrian government took especial
otTense, and in fact the Austrian reply
to the first American note made It
very plain that Austria resented the
Inference that she. as a sovereign ma
tion, was bound by the policies OF her
allies.
1t is believed that the omission OF
this reference In the second note may
remove some of the bad feeling which
this caused.
Responsibility Is Charged.
a. deeply significant feature of to-
days note is the specific charge of
responsibility made against the Aus
tro-Hungarian government. In the
first note the blame was laid on the
submarine commander, the United
states assuming that the commander
had acted in violation Of his instruc-
tions. The Austro- Hungarian gov
ernment in its reply refused to accept
this means OF avoiding responslbtlitSt
and in effect upheld the legality OF
the submarine commanders act. The
United states then shifted it's charge
of direct responsibility to the Austro-
Hungarian government Itself.
Notwithstanding It's curt dismissal OF
ALL A Alstria'S suggestions OF flTther
paIleys. however. tho tone OF the note
Is less severe than that Ct the hrst
note.
Particularly Is this true in the para
graph cont0ined in both notes, ,Which
| conveys q warning that the United
states will sever diplomatic relations
! IL its demands arc not complied with.
In the first note the United states
said
countries must rest upon a common re-
gard for law and humanity, the Govern
ment OF the United States cannot he
| expected to do otherwise than to Oe-
msnd that the imperial and royal gov
1 ernment denounce the sinking OF the
Ancona as an illegal and indefensinie
| act"
Neither Argument Nor Evidence.
In today's note the United states re
news the definite but respectful Ge-
raands' made in it's first note, and
I'll 1.-THE United states Government
| sincerely hopes that the foregoing
| statement of its position will enable
perceive the justice of those demands
! and to comply with them IN the same
| spirit of frankness and with the same
| concern for the good relations now eX-
istmC between the United states and
| Austria n ungary which prompted the
Government OF the United States to
! make them.
Tbe note is short, less than 800 words
in length. II Is the shortest diplomatic
4 note sent during the entire submarine
| controversy. This is due to the faft
that II does not restate the demands
I,made in tho first note and does not
fsubrnit evidence to support the facts
I nora rgtiniehts to support the law.
| A marked haractertstie Of today $
l'note Is the: irmness with which the
Cnited States rejects all the sugges-
4 lions de in Austria's recent reply
1 i1noklns TO 4 prolongation of negotia-
| tons. Taking up these suggestions by
the Austro- Hungarian government one
by one todays note dismisses them
4 With marked curtness and with an air
81 ;fiuslity that Indicates determina-
ton on the part Of Secretary Lansing
10 view the present note as the last
word'' Of the United States Government
unless Austria makes change of front
Four Propositions Answered.
In reply TO the Austrian suggestion
that the Government of the United
states should precisely specify the act
uaI- circumstances of the AFFAIR upon
which II bases It's case the United
states points to the official statement
of the Austrian admiralty admitting
that the vessel was torpedoed When hel
engines were stopped and while pas
senGers were on board. The note adds
This admission alone Is. in the view
OF the Government OF the United States
sufficient 10 fix responsibility"
! Austria's complaint that the Unite;