Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-12-23
DEMANDS MADE OF
!. AUSTRIA BASED ON
OWN ADMISSIONS
NEW U. 8. NOTE SAYS ADMIRAL.
TY's REPORT is SUFFICIENT
TO CONDEMN.

reply Of the United States to Aus
tria's note on the destruction Of the
Italian liner Ancona declares that the
ohtcial admission OF the Austrian ad-
/, miralty that the liner was torpedoed
after she had stopped and while pas
sengers still were aboard, alone 10
sufficient for the American demand
for disavowal, reparation and punish
ment of the submarine commander.
Secretary Lansings second note. al
ready probably in the hands Of the
Austrian foreign minister, and made
public here today, renews the de-
mands OF the United States and says
the details to which Austria referred
her reply to the first communication,
are in no way essential to the discus
sion. 1t emphasizes that continuance
of good relations between the two
countries depends upon the action Of
the Austrian government. The full
text of the note which Is addressed
to American Ambassador Penfield, fol
lows:
Text Of the Note.
The government of the United
States has received the note Of your
excellency relative to the sinking OF
the Ancona. which was delivered at
Vienna on December Is, 1915, and
transmitted to Washington, and has
given the note immediate and careful
consideration
On November Is, 1915, Baron Zwie-
dinek, the charge d. affaires of the
imperial and royal government at
Washington, transmitted to the de.
partment Of state report Of the Aus
tro- Hungarian admiralty with regard
to the sinking Of the steamship An
coma, In which It was admitted that
the vessel was torpedoed after her en-
gines had been stopped and when pas
sengers were still on board This I'D.
mission alone is. in the view Of the
| government Of the United States, suf-
hcient to fix upon the commander OF
the submarine which fred the torpedo
fther errespunsfb fbf1ity for nHvfnE wilfully
violated the recognized law of nations
and entirely disregarded those humane
principles which every belligerent
should Observe in the conduct of war
at sea. In view of these admitted cir
cumstances the government of the
United States feels justified in hold
ing that the details of the sinking Of
the Ancona. the weight and character
Of the additional testimony corrobor-
!! ating the admiralty's report, and the
number of Americans killed or injured
are in no way essential matters Of
discussion The culpability of the
commander is in any case established,
and the undisputed fact Is that citizens
Of the United States were killed, in
1ured or put in jeopardy by his law
less act.
Rules Well Known.
The rules Of international law and
the principles Of humanity which were
thus wilfully violated by the com
mander of the submarine have been
SO long and SO universally recognized
and are SO manifest from the stand
point Of right and justice that the
government OF the United States does
not feel called upon to debate them
and does not understand that the I'M
perial and royal government questions
or disputes them.
The government of the United
States therefore finds no other course
open to it but to hold the imperial and
royal government responsible for the
act Of it's naval commander and to re.
new the definite but respectful de-
mands made in its communication of
the 9Th of December, 1915. 1t sim
cerely hopes that the foregoing state
ment of it's position will enable the
imperial and royal government to per-
eeive 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.
listing between the United States and
!! Austria Hungary which prompted the
| government Of the United States to
/ make them.