The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-12-24
TEXT OF AMERICAN
note TO AUSTRIA
State Paper That Brought About
Present Critical Relations
With Dual Monarchy

despatched to Austria, the demands in
which have been repeated in the second
rote now in Vienna, is:
Reliable information obtained from
American and other survivors, who
were passengers on the steamship An.
coma, shows that on November a sub
marine flying the Austro. Hungarian
flag fred a solid shot toward the steam.
ship; that thereupOn the Ancona at
tempted to escape, but being over
hauled 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
fred number of shells at the vessel,
and finally torpedocd and sank her
while there were yet many persons on
board; and that by gunfire and foun.
dering OF the vessel large number OF
persons lost their lives or were seri.
ously injured, among whom were citi.
zens of the United States.
Admiralty Statement Cited
"The public statement of the Aus.
tro- Hungarian admiralty has been
brought to the attention of the govern.
ment Of the United States and received
careful eonsideTation. This statement
substantially Isustains the previous
declaration of the survivors, as 1t ad.
mits that the Ancona, after being
shelled, was torpedoed and sunk while
persons were still on board.
1.-THE Austro- Hungarian government
has been advised through the CORE.
spOndenee which has passed between
the United States and Germany, of the
attitude Of the United States as to the
use Of submarines in attacking vessels
OF commerce, and the acquiescenee of
Germany In that attitude, yet, with full
knowledge on the part of the Austro-
Hungarian government Of the views of
the United States as expressed in no I'M
certain terms to the ally Of Austria.
Hungary, the commander of the sub
marine which attacked the Ancona fail.
ed TO put In place Of safety the crew
and passengers of the ship which they
proposed TO destroy, because Il is pre-
sumed of the impossibili.y of taking
II into port as prize Of war. IN
1.-THE government of the United Stat.
es considers that the commander yiolat.
cd the principles of international law
and Of humanity by Smelling and torpe-
doing the AncOna before the persons
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 characterized as
wanton slaughter of defenseIess non
gombatants, since, at the time when
the vessel was shelled and torpedocd,
she was not, n appears, Resisting or at.
tempting to escape; and no other reason
ls sufficient TO excuse such an attack
mot even the possibility Of rescue. "a
Disaster Termed Outrage
"The government of the United
States, therefore, is forced to conclude
either that the commander of the sub
marine acted in violation Of his in
structiOns or that the imperial and
royal government failed to issue in.
structions to commanders of subma-
rines in accordance with the law of
nations and the principles of humanity.
The government of the United States
is unwilling to believe the latter alter
native and to credit the Austro- Hun
garian government with an intention
to permit its submarines to destroy the
lives of helpless men, women and chill
dren. It prefers to believe that the
commander of the submarine committed
this outrage without authority and con-
trary to the general or special instruc
tions which he had received.
"As the good relations of the two
countries must rest upon common re-
gard for law and humanity, the govern
ment of the United States cannot be
expected to 10 otherwise than to de
mand that the imperial and royal gov
eminent denounee the sinking of the
Ancona as an illegal and indefensible
act; that the officer who perpetrated
the decd be punished, and that repa
ration by the payment of 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, Hun
garian government, appreciating the
gravity of the case, will aecedc to it's
demands promptly, and it rests this
expectation on the belief that the
Austro- Hungarian government will not
sanction or defend an act which is
condemned by the world as inhumane
and barbarous, which is abhorrent to
all civilized nations, and which has
caused the death of innocent American
citizens. .g,..
:. CLEANSING.
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