The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-10
Austrian Communication Practically Admitted Yes sel Was Sunk Before
 Passengers Left
TEXT OF NOTE NOT
 YET MADE PUBLIC
American Government Must Have Assurance That Such Acts Will Not Be Repeated by Aus
 trian Vessels

Washington, December 9.--The note the United States has sent to Austria Hungary on the sinking of the Italian liner Ancona was based, 1t was learned tonight, primarily upon the virtual ad mission of the Austro- Hungarian admi ralty in it's official statement that the ship was torpedoed before all the pas sengers had been removed to a place of safety. It was also stated that the position of the United States, as out lined in it's communication asking repa- ration for American lives lost and as- surances that such acts will not be re- peated, is that no matter whether a merchantmen stops upon the firing of a warning shot by a warship or after a pursuit, all the passengers must be re- moved before the vessel is sunk. The text of the note was not made public tonight as it had been indicated it would be. Officials of the state depart ment refused to discuss the communi- cation in any way, declining even to admit that it had been sent. It was said that the failure to give out the note publication was due to the fact that the state department had not been advised of it's arrival at Vienna.
 Baron Erich Sweidenek, charge of the Austro Hungarian embassy called upon Counsellor Polk of the state department late today, remaining with him for nearly an hour At the conclusion of the conference neither Mir Polk nor the charge would reveal the details of their discussion.
 Information concerning the principal sid n na fraf mir of J,a American note gas obtained after it had been said at the state departme lent that no reply to the list of inquiries re- gently submitted to the Vienna foreign office through Ambassador Penfield had been received The admissions of the Austrian admiralty were contained in an official statement issued on Nov ember 14 which after giving the Aus trian version of the chase of the An coma. continued as follows:
 The submarine allowed 45 minutes for the passengers and crew to abandon the steamer, on board of which panic reigned, but only a small number of boats were cipally by the crew. A great number of boats. probably sufficient to save all the passengers, remained unoccupied
 After a period of 50 minutes, and as another steamer was approaching, the submarine submerged and torpedoed the Ancona, which sank after an additional 45 minutes
 The statement concluded with the as- serton that if any of the passengers lost their lives it was the fault of the crew because the steamer tried to escape after receiving orders to stop and then the crew saved themselves and not the pas sengers.
 This statement was accepted here az an unqualified admission that many of the passengers were still aboard when the Ancona received her death blow.
 Much evidence along this line has been obtained in dispositions secured by con- sular agents from American citizens One of these dispositions states positively that the more seriously injured passengers were left aboard at the last moment to be carried down with the ship.
 While the United States has insisted heretofore that vessels carrying noncom- batants be not sunk without warning, this developed the view of the government as to what time is considered ample for the purpose of removing passengers beyond the general statement that all passengers should be given a place of safety, as pro- vided in the declaration of London.
 The position of the United States is understood to be that while no specific time can be settled upon which would be applicable in all cases, that it is evil dent sufficient time was not allowed in this instance. The Ancona is considered an extreme case; 1t being admitted by all sources of information that panic pre- vailed aboard the ship.