The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-22
Details to Which Austria
Alluded Are Not Essen
tial to Discussion
LINER TORPEDOED
AFTER SHE STOPPED
This Fact Alone Sufficient for Ameri-
can Demand for Disavowal, Repara-
tion and Punishment of the Subma-
rine Commander.

WASHINGTON, Dee 22.-The reply
of the United States to Austria s nole
on the destruction of the Italian liner
Ancona declares that the official ad-
mission by the Austrian admiralty that
the liner was toroedoed after she had
stopped and while passengers still were
aboard, alone is sufficient for the Amer
lean demand for disavowal, reparation
and punishment of the submarine com
mander.
Secretary Lansing 5 second note, al
ready probably in the hands of the Aus
trian foreign minister. and made pub
lie here today, renews the demands of
the United States, and says that the
details to which Austria alluded in her
reply to the first American cOmmunica-
tion, are in no way essential to the dis
cussion. It emphasizes that continu-
ance 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 Penfeld, at vi
emma, follows:
1.-The government of the United
States has received the note of your ex-
celleney relative to the sinking of the
on Dee. Is, 1915, and transmitted to
/ Washington, and has given the note
| immediate and careful consideration.
On Nov. Is, 1915, Baron Zwiedinek.
| the charge 4 'affaires of the imperial
and royal government at Washington,
, transmitted to the department of state
| a report of the Austro- Hungarian ad-
miralty with regard to the sinking of
| the steamship Ancona, in which it was
admitted that the vessel was torpedoed
after her engines had been stopped and
/ when passengers were still on board.
This admission alone is, in the view
of the government of the United States,
sufficient to fix upon the commander of
the submarine which fired the torpedo
the responsibility for having 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 those admitted cir
cumstances the government of the
United States feels justified in holding
that the details of the sinking of the
Ancona, the weight and character OF
the additional testimony corroborat
ing the admiralty's report and the
number of Americans killed or injured
are in no way essential matters of dis
cussion. The culpability of the com
mander is in any sense established, ano
the undisputed fact is that citizens OF
the United States were killed, injured
or put in jeopardy by his lawless act.
The rules of international law anc
the principles of humanity which were
thus wilfully violated by the command
er of the submarine have been so lons
and so universally recognized and ar,
so manifest from the standpoint o
right and justice that the government
of the United States does not feel call
ed upon to debate them and does no
understand that the imperial and roy
: al government questions or dispute
= them.
= The government of the Unite
open to it but to hold the imperial an
royal government responsible for tn
act of its naval commander and to re
new the definite but respectful Dc
mands made in its communication O
the 9th of December, 1915. It sincerel
n hopes that the foregoing statement c
its position will enable the imperi;
and royal government to perceive til
v Justice of those demands and to compl
:. with them in the same spirit of franl
% ness and with the same concern for IL
" good relations now existing betwee
le the United States and Austria Hu
m gary which prompted the government
Of tho TTnitad States +O make them