The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-12-17

expectation on the belief that the
Austro- Hungarian Government will
Z OF sanction or defend an act which
is condemned by the world as inhu-
name and barbarous, which is alb
horrent to all civilized nations, and
which has caused the death of inno-
cent American citizens (signed.)
Lansing.
Reply VIII BE UnfavOrable.
London, Dec. 16.-The Austrian
reply to the note from the United
States regarding the Ancona case
has been delivered to Frederic c..
Penfield, United States Ambassador
at Vienna, It is announced in dis
patch here. The reply states that
the Austro-Bungarian Government is
prepared in principle to enter into
an exchange of opinions with the
American Government and leave 1t
to the Washington Cabinet to draw
up the individual legal maxims which
the commander of the submarine
that sunk the Ancona is alleged to
have violated.
The Government expresses sympa-
thy with the American Government
over the loss of life.
Vienna. Dec. 1.-THE Austro-
Hungarian Admiralty is entirely OPP
posed to any disavowal of the course
of the submarine commander who
was responsible for the sinking of the
Italian steamer Ancona. On the
contrary, 1t approves his conduct full
ly and declares that he would have
been considered as having failed to
perform his duty IL he had allowed
the Ancona to escape.
The reply to the American note, ii
Is understood. will be delivered soon,
possibly Wednesday. The cores
pendent of the Associated Press has
not been able TO secure forecast OF
the terms of the reply, but all indi-
| cations are that q pessimistic view OF
the situation is justified.
The Admiralty today stated its
case and the attitude of the naval au-
thorities as follows:
at is a submarine commander
duty to make a report to a designat-
ed base as soon as possible and the
commander who sank the Ancona did
this ssoon as he was within wireless
distance of land. He made a sup
Elementary report at Palo and ac-
companied 1t with his log. No ex-
animation of the crew was held be-
cause the commanders report was
considered complete and there was
no reason to suppose that the crew
could add anything thereto.
So far as the commander Is con-
cerned his course is clear. The Ad-
miralty has received his report and
sees no reason to find any fault with
his course of action.
&" II any such reason existed, that
is, If the Admiralty had found that
the commander had done anything
contrary to his instructions, it would
spontaneously institute an investiga-
ton against him without waiting for
any demand to come from foreign
Government. 1t can happen that a
commander in heat of battle deals
contrary to instructions, but nothing
of that kind has occurred in this case
at appears Clearly from his re-
port that his ship was in danger, in
deed in double danger, first from the
fact that an enemy boat was approach
ing on a line that threatened to cut
off his retreat and the enemy snip
and the Ancona could have establish
ed his radius of action and could
have set a torpedo boat flotilla on
him and second, there was danger oil
the Ancona escaping, which, accord
ing TO his instructions, was to be pre-
vented in all circumstances. Hence
! the conduct of the commander, much
as the loss of innocent lives must be
regretted and deplored, cannot be
disapproved.
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