Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-12-11
Crisis ImpendS Similar toll
That Between United StateSI
and Germany Over Subma-
rine War.
BREAK SURE UNLESS
ACT IS DISAV0WED
Emperor Francis Joseph S Gov
eminent Must Promise Not
to Violate International Law
in Future,

Washington, Dec Diplomatic
relations with Austria are in grave
danger Of being broken off over the
sinking of the Italian liner Ancona
with the loss of American lives An
officials here continue to preserve si-
lence over the negotiations with Aus
tria, but through the ven which has
been drawn about the situation is
seen a crisis just as grave as that
which attended the submarine nego-
tions with Germany
The question Of continuing diplo-
matte relations may be said to de-
pend upon a satisfactory reply tC
Secretary Lansng's note which now
probably is before the Vienna foreign
office, demanding a disavowaf of th'
sinking Of the Ancona, reparation foi
the lives lost and assurances thai
passenger ships shah not be attacked
without warning or any opportunity
for non -combatants to take places o
safety,
Situation is Tense.
The situation tonight IS tense an,
fraught with possibilities, Compare'
to the last days Of the Arabic negotia
tions with Germany when proba0l!
no one but President Wilson hmsel
knew how close the country was to
severance of diplomatic relations Will
Berlin.
Officials of the state department
will not discuss the American not
! even so far as to say if they know
whether it has reached Vienna o
when they expect to permit publca
ton Of it in this country 1t is take'
for granted in official circles gener
ally, however that the communca
ton, cabled last Tuesday, must hav
( been delivered before this, and 20 re
iply is anxiously awaited
! Another Complication.
A further complication to the SIT
uation developed today when it wa
disclosed that an Austrian submarin
which shelled the American Standar
oil tank ship Petrolite in the Mcdi
terranean last week sent boardin
party and took part of the ships pro
visions This news came in con
sular dispatch from Algiers and wa
! the first official word of the safct
of tho Pctrolitc, which was not great
. " damaged by the sholling and pre-
( ceeded To Algiers with one man slight
( ly wounded.
So far as the Pctrolite incident
concerned there probably VIII be y
action by the state department unit
more complete reports arc receive
showing the exact circumstances nj
der which the vessel was attacked,
New Problem Raised.
Warships in the past. when In diI
need of food Tor their crews, otte
have held mp merchantmen Wlthot
regard to their nationality ana eal
ried off what they wanted, giving rC
ceipts to assure ultimate payment tt
what was taken Under such cn
cumstances, it is said, the Bovernmei
is concerned have not been incline
TO regard the proceeding as vei
serious breach OF their rights, provit
ed a mcrchantman was not lett W'tt
out sufficient supplies to make por
Seizure of supplies from neutr'
vessel by submarine, however raise
new and interesting point in il
ternational law 1t is pointed o,
that il this practice became genera
belligerent submarines preying upo
Ian enemys commerce practical
would be unlimited in their radius
action and almost wholly independei
of bases OF supplies.